US warns of assassination attempts on Iranian leaders: Report
What's the story
The United States has reportedly warned Middle Eastern countries to inform Iran about possible assassination attempts by Israel. The targets of these alleged plots are Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, The New York Times reported. The US fears that such actions could derail the ongoing ceasefire talks, which began in early April.
Negotiation concerns
US fears assassination could derail Iran ceasefire talks
The US's fears of Israel targeting senior Iranian leaders intensified during the fragile ceasefire talks that began in April. The American officials believed that any assassination attempt on Araghchi and Ghalibaf would jeopardize the negotiations and reignite hostilities. This concern comes after a war started on February 28 with an Israeli strike that killed Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and other senior officials, partly using US intelligence.
Leadership strikes
Israel killed 2 Iranian leaders in early conflict stages
In the early stages of the conflict, Israel focused on targeting Iranian leadership, killing Ali Larijani and Kamal Kharazi. Both were seen as potential pragmatic leaders for negotiations with the United States. Despite US efforts for a peace deal, Israel has remained skeptical since the first ceasefire in April. The initial ceasefire received lukewarm support from Israeli officials amid fears that the US was rushing to end hostilities too soon.
Ongoing negotiations
Framework agreement reached for reopening Strait of Hormuz
Despite the assassination threats, Araghchi and Ghalibaf have been key figures in talks with regional countries for a ceasefire and durable peace with the US. In June, Washington and Tehran reached a framework agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and discuss Iran's nuclear program. However, Israeli officials viewed this preliminary deal as a disaster since it didn't meet their war aims of regime change in Iran, dismantling its proxy forces, or impacting its ballistic missile program.
Survival and travel
Ghalibaf escaped death twice during conflicts with Israel
According to The Wall Street Journal, both Araghchi and Ghalibaf were on Israel's target list since March but were removed at the US's insistence after ceasefire talks began. Ghalibaf has narrowly escaped death twice since 2025 during conflicts with Israel. Despite the assassination threats, Iranian officials continue their travels for peace talks. In May, both Ghalibaf and Araghchi traveled to Qatar and Switzerland for negotiations.