U.S. officials warned Iran of possible Israeli threat to negotiators

U.S. officials were concerned that Israel might attempt to assassinate Iranian negotiators during recent ceasefire talks and conveyed that warning to Tehran through intermediaries, according to a U.S. official and an Iranian official. The talks, held in April and May, sought to end the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.

During those discussions, officials said the U.S. side worried that Israel might target Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, both of whom participated in negotiations with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.

Ceasefire and follow-on agreement The April talks produced an initial ceasefire, followed by a memorandum of understanding signed by the U.S. and Iran last month. Negotiations continue toward a longer-term peace agreement, though several issues remain unresolved.

The New York Times first reported the U.S. concerns. ” The office later referred NBC News to that post. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Earlier strikes and internal differences Israel has previously targeted senior Iranian military officers and government officials. In the opening weeks of the war, U.S. strikes focused on military targets while Israeli strikes hit regime figures, U.S. and Israeli officials said.

In March, some Iranian officials previously viewed as potential negotiating partners were killed in air strikes. U.S. spy agencies assessed last month that Israel would likely continue attacks on Hezbollah, an assessment that could affect the Iran talks.

Officials have noted repeated differences between the U.S. and Israeli governments over the scope of strikes and the conduct of negotiations.