'Complete fabrication of reality': Israel PMO rejects report on 'plot' against Iranian negotiators

Israel Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has dismissed a New York Times report alleging that Israel considered assassinating senior Iranian negotiators during US-Iran talks aimed at ending the conflict in West Asia, calling the claims entirely fabricated.

According to a Times of Israel report, the PMO in a statement said, “As usual, The New York Times’ latest story about Israel and the Iranian negotiators is fake news. A complete fabrication of reality.”

The New York Times reported on Thursday that US officials feared Israel could target top Iranian negotiators while Washington and Tehran were engaged in efforts to secure a ceasefire and broader diplomatic understanding following months of conflict.

According to the report, concerns within the US administration were significant enough that American officials sought the assistance of regional governments to discreetly warn Tehran about possible threats to members of its negotiating team.

More from World

The newspaper, citing current and former US officials, said Washington worried that any such attack could derail the fragile ceasefire reached on April 8 and jeopardise ongoing diplomatic efforts.

Among the Iranian officials allegedly viewed as potential targets were Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.

The report echoed claims previously published by The Wall Street Journal in March, which said Araghchi and Ghalibaf had initially appeared on an Israeli target list but were temporarily removed after the United States launched negotiations with Tehran.

According to the New York Times, Iran sought security assurances ahead of a planned round of talks in Islamabad in April. The report said Tehran conveyed its concerns through Pakistani and Qatari intermediaries and requested guarantees from Washington that Israel would not conduct covert operations against members of its delegation.

The newspaper further claimed that aircraft carrying the Iranian delegation were escorted by Pakistani fighter jets during their journey to and from Islamabad as a precautionary measure.

It also reported that Iranian security services received intelligence during the return journey indicating that Israel was planning to target the aircraft carrying Ghalibaf and that two Israeli fighter jets had allegedly entered Iranian airspace from the western frontier near Iraq.

Mahdi Mohammadi, a senior adviser who accompanied the Iranian delegation, was quoted as saying that the aircraft made an emergency landing in Mashhad after receiving the intelligence warning and that Ghalibaf completed the remainder of the trip by land.

The reports come amid broader claims that targeting senior figures in Iran’s political and military leadership formed part of Israel’s strategy during the conflict.

According to the New York Times, Israel initially prioritised strikes against leadership targets, while the US focused more heavily on degrading Iran’s naval capabilities and missile forces.

The newspaper further suggested that Washington and Tel Aviv’s objectives, which were initially aligned, later began to diverge.

It reported that Israeli officials viewed a lasting ceasefire and potential diplomatic settlement with concern, arguing that sanctions relief and renewed economic engagement could provide Iran with resources to rebuild after the war without fundamentally curbing its nuclear programme.

The PMO, however, categorically rejected the report and its assertions, maintaining that the claims bore no resemblance to reality.

With inputs from agencies