Agencies | Tel Aviv:
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has dismissed a report by The New York Times alleging that United States officials feared Israel was planning to assassinate two of Iran’s senior negotiators during indirect talks between Washington and Tehran.
Rejecting the claims, the Prime Minister’s Office described the report as “fake news.”
“As usual, The New York Times’ latest story about Israel and the Iranian negotiators is fake news. A complete fabrication of reality,” the office said, according to The Times of Israel.
What Did The New York Times Report?
According to The New York Times, US officials were concerned that Israel could attempt to assassinate Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf during indirect ceasefire negotiations that began in April.
Citing current and former American officials, the report said Washington believed that any such attack during the negotiations could derail diplomatic efforts and potentially reignite hostilities.
The report further claimed that US officials sought assistance from regional countries to warn Iran about the possibility of assassination attempts targeting the two senior Iranian officials.
It added that while US officials reportedly considered Araghchi and Ghalibaf to be legitimate military targets during the active phase of the conflict, they believed any strike after negotiations had commenced would jeopardise ongoing diplomatic efforts.
According to the report, the Trump administration later learned that Ghalibaf had been included on an Israeli target list and urged Israel not to carry out any strike against him.
Indirect US-Iran Talks Continue
The report surfaced a day after US and Iranian negotiators concluded another round of indirect talks in Doha.
The discussions reportedly focused on maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz and the unfreezing of Iranian funds under an interim agreement announced earlier. However, there was no indication of significant progress towards a broader peace settlement.
The next round of indirect negotiations is expected to take place after the funeral of Iran’s late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, scheduled for July 9.
