Israel Reportedly Attempted To Shoot Down Iran’s Negotiators
By Daily Caller. Israel attempted to kill Iran’s negotiators on their plane after talks between the U.S. and Iran concluded in Pakistan, The New York Times reported.
The attempt occurred in the air as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf were flying home to Tehran from talks in Pakistan, the outlet reported, citing anonymous U.S. officials. As the officials were en route flying home, Iran’s security forces notified the plane that two Israeli fighter jets had entered Iranian airspace with the intention of attacking it.
However, the plane was not shot down as it made an emergency landing in Mashhad, Iran’s closest airport to Pakistan, according to the Times. The diplomatic jet also had an escort from Pakistani fighter jets.
The Iranian diplomatic jet was carrying more than 70 other Iranian officials during the flight, the outlet reported.
The White House, the State Department and the Israeli Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Israel had Araghchi and Ghalibaf on a list of targets to kill, but temporarily removed them from the list as the U.S. was conducting negotiations, The Wall Street Journal reported on March 25. Although it appears that removal did not last long, as the reported assassination attempt happened just a few months later. (Read more from “Israel Reportedly Attempted To Shoot Down Iran’s Negotiators” HERE)
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US officials feared Israel was plotting to kill head Iranian negotiators: report
By New York Post. The US believed Israel was plotting to kill Iran’s head negotiators in the middle of the peace talks, with America going as far as to warn Tehran through third party countries of the risks, officials said.
Fears that Israel could derail the fledgling peace talks spiked in April as America believed the Jewish state had their eyes on Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, The New York Times reported.
The two leaders would go on to approve the current peace deal with the US. If they were killed, it would have likely prolonged the conflict as previous assassinations by Israel have.
Araghchi and Ghalibaf were known to have been on a so-called “kill list” back in March, which was composed of top regime officials who Israel sought to remove.
The two leaders, however, were removed from the list following intervention from the US as the negotiations began to take form, Reuters reported. (Read more from “US officials feared Israel was plotting to kill head Iranian negotiators: report” HERE)
