The US quietly warned Iran that Israel might try to kill its own negotiators, and Netanyahu’s office called the story a complete fabrication

The United States reportedly warned Iran that its top negotiators could become targets for Israeli assassination, according to a report from NBC News. During negotiations held in April and May, US officials grew concerned that Israel had considered targeting Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. Both men have played a central role in talks aimed at solidifying a ceasefire following the US Israeli war with Iran.

The US reportedly used regional intermediaries to pass the warnings to Tehran, out of concern that an attack on the negotiators could collapse the fragile ceasefire. Israel has targeted senior Iranian leadership at multiple points since the war began on February 28.

As detailed by the Times of Israel, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a denial on X, calling the report “fake news” and “a complete fabrication of reality.” Netanyahu’s office maintained that position when asked for further comment, pointing back to the same post.

Ghalibaf has reportedly avoided assassination attempts more than once

Ghalibaf has reportedly narrowly avoided being killed on multiple occasions, including during the June 2025 war with Iran and after being pulled from the rubble of a struck building earlier this year. On April 12, while returning to Iran from Islamabad after meeting with US Vice President JD Vance, Iranian security forces reportedly received intelligence that two Israeli fighter jets had entered Iranian airspace with plans to target his aircraft.

The plane was diverted for an emergency landing in Mashhad, and the delegation completed the rest of the trip to Tehran by land. Separately, an RC boat dispute also went viral online this week after a confrontation with a local officer.

Talks that began in April led to an initial ceasefire and a memorandum of understanding signed last month, though relations between the Trump administration and Netanyahu’s government remain strained. Trump has criticized Israel’s continued strikes in Lebanon targeting the Iran backed Hezbollah group, and US officials have at times publicly distanced themselves from Israel’s military decisions.

Vice President JD Vance has also criticized Israeli hard-liners, saying in a recent interview that “you can’t just kill your way out of solving every single national security problem.” In March, Trump said some of the more pragmatic Iranian officials had already been killed in strikes, remarking that “most of the people we had in mind are dead.”

A Pakistani official has said Israel removed both Araghchi and Ghalibaf from its target list in March after Pakistan requested that Washington intervene, reasoning that their deaths would leave “no one else to talk to” about a ceasefire. Separately, a disputed hotel fee also circulated online this week after a guest said she was charged without explanation.

US intelligence assessments from last month suggested Israel would likely continue operations against Hezbollah, complicating the diplomatic effort. Netanyahu’s office has denied the reports of warnings to Iran, maintaining that the New York Times story is fabricated.