US Feared Israel Had Assassination Plans, Warned Iran: Sources

Washington didn't just tell Israel to stop carrying out assassinations; it quietly warned Tehran, too, according to current and former officials who spoke to the New York Times and the Washington Post. The newspaper reports that as the Trump administration pushed a deal to halt the Iran war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, senior US officials became convinced Israel was targeting Iran's chief negotiators for assassination—and used intermediaries this spring to alert Iran that foreign minister Abbas Araghchi and parliamentary speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf might be in Israel's crosshairs. One US official said killing them would mean eliminating "the pragmatists" Washington needed to clinch a ceasefire and a framework peace agreement.

The behind-the-scenes warning underscores how far US and Israeli objectives have split since the conflict began in February, when both aimed to topple Iran's leadership. After Israel killed senior figures including top security official Ali Larijani, US officials concluded regime change was unlikely and pivoted to negotiations—relying heavily on Araghchi and Ghalibaf. Analysts say the episode highlights Washington's limited leverage over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who opposes the emerging deal that trades sanctions relief for nuclear constraints and abandons the goal of regime change. Israel's embassy declined comment; a US official said only that President Trump wants the peace process "to play out."