Israeli fighter jets reportedly entered Iranian airspace while Tehran’s top negotiators were engaged in talks with the United States, raising fears in Washington that Israel could assassinate two senior Iranian officials involved in the diplomatic process, according to a report by The New York Times.
The report, published on Wednesday, said US officials became increasingly concerned that Israel was planning to target Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf as they returned to Iran after negotiations with US officials in Pakistan in April.
According to the report, the Trump administration feared that assassinating the Iranian leaders would immediately collapse the negotiations and trigger a renewed military confrontation. “Any attempt to kill the Iranian leaders would end the talks and reignite the fighting,” American officials told The New York Times.
As Washington worked to secure a ceasefire and advance a broader diplomatic framework with Tehran, Israel remained sceptical of negotiations that it believed did not align with its wider military objectives, the report said.
US officials also believed Israel was preparing to strike Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf’s aircraft as he returned to Tehran from Islamabad on April 12 after meeting US Vice President JD Vance.
Israeli jets entered Iran airspace, Ghalibaf on target
According to the report, American authorities alerted Iranian officials that two Israeli fighter jets had entered Iranian airspace through Iraq and were positioning themselves to target Ghalibaf’s aircraft during its return journey.
The intelligence prompted Iranian authorities to warn the aircraft mid-flight, leading Ghalibaf to make an unscheduled landing in Mashhad in northern Iran instead of continuing directly to Tehran, the report added.
A US official and a Middle East official told the newspaper that the Trump administration had learned Ghalibaf was on an Israeli target list and urged Israel not to carry out any strike against him.
Iranian officials cited in the report said Tehran also sought assurances from Washington, through Pakistani and Qatari intermediaries, that Israel would not target members of the Iranian negotiating team.
Security concerns reportedly intensified during the delegation’s visit to Islamabad, where Ghalibaf was scheduled to meet Vice President JD Vance. According to the report, Pakistani fighter jets escorted the Iranian delegation’s aircraft to and from Islamabad amid fears of a possible Israeli assassination attempt.
Mahdi Mohammadi, a senior adviser to Ghalibaf who accompanied the delegation, later confirmed the account in a social media post.
In April, Iranian lawmaker Mohsen Zanganeh praised the negotiating team for continuing with the diplomatic mission despite the reported threats.
“Today Mr Ghalibaf and Mr Araghchi, and other members of the negotiating team, have put their lives on the line knowing the grave security risks, and this is called a real sacrifice, not political manoeuvring,” Zanganeh told local media.
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