US Reveals Foiled Israeli Assassination Plans, Deepening Rift Over Iran Policy

American officials disclosed that Washington thwarted Israeli plans to assassinate key Iranian figures, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. The Washington Post report highlights significant disagreements between the US and Israel regarding the objectives of their campaign against Iran. While Israel aimed to overthrow the Iranian regime, the US focused on degrading Iran’s military and naval capabilities, believing regime change was unattainable through conflict.

In March and April, the US sought to engage in negotiations with Iran and warned Israel against targeting pragmatic Iranian political leaders who could play roles in future talks. Aaron David Miller, a former senior State Department advisor, stated this reveals the gap between US and Israeli war aims and reflects Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s determination to undermine any US-led negotiations.

Further tensions arose after Israel assassinated Iran’s national security chief, Ali Larijani, in mid-March. A Western source noted the turning point was not the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei but Larijani’s death, as Washington had hoped to work with him. In March, US President Donald Trump publicly suggested Israeli assassinations complicated negotiations, saying, "They eliminated almost everyone. I don’t want to kill them."

Iran officially announced Larijani’s death on March 17, along with his son Morteza, an aide, and others, in an Israeli airstrike targeting a house in Pardis, northeast of Tehran. The attack occurred early on March 16, reportedly involving US and Israeli fighter jets. This followed Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant’s confirmation of Larijani’s killing, days after Larijani appeared publicly in Tehran during the Quds Day march.