Israel has strongly denied a report published by The New York Times claiming that United States officials feared Israel was planning to assassinate two senior Iranian negotiators during indirect talks between Washington and Tehran.

Responding to the report, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the claims as baseless. According to The Times of Israel and cited by News18, the Prime Minister’s Office said, “As usual, The New York Times’ latest story about Israel and the Iranian negotiators is fake news. A complete fabrication of reality.”

What did the NYT report claim?

According to The New York Times, US officials became concerned earlier this year that Israel could target Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf while indirect negotiations between the US and Iran were underway.

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The report, citing current and former American officials, said the concerns emerged during ceasefire negotiations that began in April. Washington reportedly believed that any assassination attempt on the two Iranian leaders during the talks could disrupt diplomatic efforts and trigger renewed conflict.

It also claimed that the US reached out to regional countries, asking them to warn Iran about the possibility of such attacks.

The report further stated that while American officials viewed Araghchi and Ghalibaf as legitimate military targets during active hostilities, they believed any strike after negotiations had begun could jeopardise the peace process.

According to the report, the Trump administration later learned that Ghalibaf had been placed on an Israeli target list and requested Israel not to carry out any strike against him.

Talks continue despite tensions

The report surfaced a day after another round of indirect talks between US and Iranian negotiators concluded in Doha.

The latest discussions focused on maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and the release of frozen Iranian funds under an interim agreement announced earlier. However, there was no indication of progress toward a broader peace settlement.

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The next round of indirect negotiations is expected to take place after the funeral of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on July 9, as diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran continue amid heightened regional tensions.

FAQs:

Why did Israel call the NYT report ‘fake news’?

Israel denied the report’s claims, calling it “a complete fabrication of reality”.

What did the NYT report allege?

It claimed US officials feared Israel could target two senior Iranian negotiators during indirect US-Iran talks.