The New York Times reports that the United States suspected in real time that Israel was planning to assassinate Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and relayed a warning to Tehran. The report, cited by Israeli media, adds to previous accounts that Ghalibaf's aircraft made an emergency landing amid fears of an Israeli strike.
The New York Times has reported that the United States suspected in real time, during negotiations, that Israel was planning to assassinate two senior Iranian officials — Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi — and passed a warning directly to Tehran, according to the report cited Friday by Israeli media.
The revelation deepens the picture from Friday morning, when The Zioneer reported the NYT's earlier account that Washington asked regional countries to warn Iran of Israel's alleged intentions, and that Ghalibaf's aircraft made an emergency landing in Mashhad after Iranian security received intelligence of a planned Israeli strike.
The new detail — that the U.S. itself transmitted a warning to the Iranians — suggests Washington's concern was sufficiently acute to bypass intermediaries and communicate directly with Tehran. The report does not specify how the warning was delivered or what precise intelligence triggered it. Both Ghalibaf and Araghchi serve as senior figures in Iran's delegation and represent the political leadership; any assassination attempt would have constituted a dramatic escalation during active talks.
2 developments
- StrongNYT: Ghalibaf's aircraft made emergency landing after intelligence of Israeli strike plot
- DevelopingUS intelligence warns of potential surprise Iranian attack on Israel
- DevelopingIranians mock Ghalibaf and Araghchi in face of Trump
- StrongIranian parliament speaker threatens US, Israeli assets in region
Source and signal
- Internal intake