US warned Iran of Israel plot to kill 2 negotiators

NYT REPORT | Washington told Tehran via intermediaries that targeting its leaders could derail peace talks, reignite conflict

The report also said Ghalibaf survived two alleged assassination attempts, including one after talks with US Vice President JD Vance in Islamabad on April 12.

Washington: US officials indirectly warned Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf (R) During negotiations in April this year that Israel might try to assassinate them, The New York Times reported on Thursday.

Citing current and former US officials, the report said some in Washington feared Israel was considering targeting the two senior Iranian negotiators in the weeks after the April 8 ceasefire that halted fighting in the US-Israel war with Iran.

The report said US officials asked regional governments to pass the warning to Tehran, fearing any attack would derail ceasefire negotiations and trigger renewed fighting.

Officials quoted by the newspaper said Araghchi and Ghalibaf could have been considered legitimate targets when the conflict began on Feb 28, as Israel targeted much of Iran's senior leadership. However, once the pair became central to ceasefire talks, their deaths could have collapsed negotiations.

Iranian intelligence rep­o­r­t­e­­dly warned of an imminent Israeli strike, prompting his aircraft to make an emergen­cy landing in Mashhad. Gha­libaf and his delegation later travelled to Tehran by road, according to Iranian officials cited by the newspaper.

Iran warns tankers on Hormuz routes

Iran has warned oil tankers transiting the strait to follow shipping routes approved by Tehran or face an “immediate and forceful response” from its armed forces. Iran also criticised US military aircraft operating over the strait, calling them a threat to regional stability. 

—Agencies

Guard chief Vahidi emerges ahead of Khamenei funeral

Dubai: General Ahmad Vahidi, commander of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, reappeared in public on Friday as Tehran prepared for the dayslong funeral of late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. State media showed Vahidi attending a funeral planning meeting and later sitting beside Khamenei's casket during a ceremony in Tehran. Experts say Vahidi has become a key figure shaping Iran's stance in negotiations with the US and is among a small group advising new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei. Public funeral ceremonies will begin on Saturday, with Khamenei's body to be taken across Iran and Iraq.