US Feared Israel Would Derail Iran Nuclear Talks

During nuclear negotiations with Iran this spring, the United States feared Israel was planning to assassinate Iranian officials involved in the talks.

The New York Times (NYT), citing current and former US officials, reported that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf were considered possible targets. According to the report, Washington asked regional governments to warn Tehran of the potential threat in an effort to keep the negotiations on track.

US officials believed that once talks began in April, any assassination of senior Iranian officials would have ended the diplomatic effort and reignited the fighting.

The NYT also reported that, at the outset of the conflict, Israel prioritized strikes against Iran’s political leadership. According to the newspaper, Ali Larijani and former Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi, who were involved in negotiations with the United States, were also killed in the airstrikes.

The newspaper said the episode underscored the differing priorities of Washington and Israel. While the United States sought to secure a diplomatic agreement as quickly as possible, Israel remained skeptical that such an agreement could succeed.

In June, Washington and Tehran reached a framework agreement on restoring shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and on future negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.

(nyt, bak)