American officials reportedly became increasingly concerned this spring that Israel might target Iran’s most senior diplomatic representatives during sensitive backchannel peace negotiations, fearing such an attack could destroy ongoing efforts to end the conflict, according to a report published Thursday by The New York Times.

The report said those fears intensified in April, even though Israel had made the elimination of key Iranian leaders a cornerstone of its military campaign after fighting erupted on February 28, following an airstrike that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Among the officials believed to be at greatest risk were Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. According to the Times, the Trump administration worried that killing either man would shatter the delicate negotiations and spark another round of large-scale fighting. To prevent that scenario, U.S. officials reportedly asked regional allies to quietly warn Tehran about the perceived danger.

The episode underscored the differing priorities between Washington and Israel. While the Trump administration was focused on securing a negotiated settlement, Israeli leaders remained deeply skeptical of diplomacy and opposed making significant concessions to Iran.

The dangers facing Iran’s negotiating team were far from theoretical. Ghalibaf had already escaped death twice after being rescued from collapsed buildings—first during the 12-day war in June 2025 and again this year following a strike on a bunker.

According to The New York Times, one of the most dramatic incidents unfolded as Ghalibaf was returning from talks with Vice President JD Vance in Islamabad. After Pakistani fighter jets escorted his aircraft toward the Iranian border, intelligence reportedly indicated that two Israeli fighter jets had crossed into western Iranian airspace from the direction of Iraq in an apparent attempt to intercept the flight.

Faced with the potential threat, the aircraft diverted to Mashhad instead of continuing to Tehran. From there, the delegation completed the journey by road, enduring an eight-hour drive to the capital. Despite the close call, Iranian negotiators reportedly continued traveling abroad for additional diplomatic meetings in Qatar and Switzerland.

{Matzav.com}