India, July 3 -- American officials feared Israel might attempt to assassinate two of Iran's most senior negotiators this spring even as Washington worked to broker a ceasefire and interim peace deal with Tehran, prompting the United States to quietly warn Iran through regional intermediaries that its top diplomats could be targeted, according to a New York Times investigation citing current and former US officials.

The concerns centred on Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of Iran's parliament, both of whom emerged as central figures in the sensitive negotiations that followed an April 8 ceasefire ending weeks of direct fighting between Israel and Iran. According to the report, U.S. officia...