US Warned Iran of Alleged Israeli Threats During Talks: Report

The United States secretly warned Iran about alleged Israeli assassination threats against senior Iranian negotiators to help keep sensitive talks between Washington and Tehran on track, according to a report by The New York Times.

The report said US officials passed the warning through other governments, claiming Israel could target Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who were leading Iran’s negotiating team.

CNN also reported that two US officials confirmed the warning. However, Israel rejected the claims and called the report false.

According to the report, the US believed the security threat was serious enough to warn Iran after failing to stop its close ally, Israel, from taking actions that could harm the negotiations.

The report added that previous Israeli strikes had already affected diplomatic efforts by killing several senior Iranian figures who were considered important voices in negotiations.

It also said that during discussions on a temporary ceasefire and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, tensions increased after Israel’s defence minister reportedly threatened Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei.

The report claimed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office pressured intelligence agencies to present overly positive reports about military operations to slow down the peace process. Israel has not accepted these claims.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed during a July 3 phone call to meet in the United States to discuss the situation.

The report also said Pakistan and Qatar helped protect the Iranian delegation by providing security during travel. It claimed Pakistani fighter jets escorted the Iranian aircraft, while the delegation later continued its journey by road before attending talks in Doha and Switzerland.

Despite renewed fighting in early July, the report said diplomatic contacts between the US and Iran have remained open, allowing negotiations to continue.