Report: Washington feared Israel's assassination of Qalibaf and Araqchi during negotiations and warned Iran through regional intermediaries

SadaNews - A media report revealed the U.S. administration's concern about an attempted assassination by Israel of Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and the Speaker of the Parliament Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf during negotiations last spring aimed at easing tensions, prompting Washington to warn Tehran through regional intermediaries. The U.S. administration feared that Israel might attempt to assassinate Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and the Speaker of the Parliament and chief Iranian negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf amid sensitive talks that Washington held with Tehran last spring in an effort to reach a temporary "peace" agreement. This was reported by the "New York Times" on Thursday, citing current and former U.S. officials, stating that U.S. officials believed that "Israel might have been planning to assassinate senior Iranian negotiators while Washington was engaged with Tehran in sensitive discussions this spring to reach a temporary peace agreement." While the report indicated that the assassination of senior Iranian leaders had been part of Israel's strategy since the onset of the war, it emphasized that "U.S. concerns regarding the targeting of specific Iranian officials, including Abbas Araqchi and Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, escalated during the sensitive ceasefire negotiations that began in April." The report added that "fearing that an Israeli assassination attempt could derail the negotiations, the United States, according to some officials, went so far as to ask other countries in the region to warn Iran of the possibility of Israel targeting these officials."