Officials in the United States believed that Israel planned to assassinate senior members of the Iranian delegation to talks with the United States during negotiations between the countries with the aim of reaching an interim agreement.
According to a report this evening (Thursday) in the New York Times, officials believed that the Israelis were targeting Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf.
The fear was that such an assassination would derail talks between Washington and Tehran, and the United States asked countries in the region to warn Iran of the threat.
American officials noted that in the early stages of the war, when Israel was operating against the Iranian leadership, the two were legitimate targets from Israel's perspective.
However, after the diplomatic talks entered a significant phase in April, the assessment in Washington changed, according to which action against them would have thwarted diplomatic efforts.
The report also states that the American administration's suspicions reflect the gap that has emerged between the goals of the United States and Israel in the continuation of the campaign.
While Washington sought to advance an agreement with Iran, Israel remained skeptical about the cessation of hostilities and the continuation of the diplomatic track.
