A report by The New York Times has claimed that the United States privately warned Iran in April about an alleged Israeli plan to target senior Iranian officials during ongoing nuclear negotiations, highlighting early signs of growing differences between Washington and Tel Aviv over Iran policy.
According to the report, US officials alerted Tehran that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf could be potential Israeli targets while they were involved in diplomatic talks with the United States. The warning reportedly came amid heightened regional tensions and a series of Israeli operations inside Iran.
The report further alleges that US intelligence indicated Israeli fighter jets were preparing to intercept Ghalibaf’s aircraft as he returned from Pakistan in April. After receiving the warning, Iranian authorities reportedly instructed the aircraft to alter its route and make an emergency landing in Mashhad instead of continuing to Tehran.
The reported warning is seen as an indication that differences between the US and Israel over Iran had begun months before recent reports of strained relations between President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The developments come as Washington continues to pursue diplomatic engagement with Tehran through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) and broader nuclear negotiations, while Israel has maintained a more confrontational stance toward Iran.
Neither the US nor Israeli governments have officially confirmed the claims contained in The New York Times report. The revelations have nevertheless drawn attention to the evolving dynamics between the two allies amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
