Jerusalem : Israel has shared fresh intelligence with the United States alleging that Iran recently developed a new plan to assassinate US President Donald Trump, according to multiple media reports. CNN, citing two sources familiar with the matter, said the warning was passed to US officials this week and referred to a specific alleged plot.
One source said US intelligence has been monitoring a steady flow of threats against Trump in recent weeks, but described the Israeli warning as significant because it pointed to a specific alleged plan. The White House declined to comment directly on the reported intelligence and instead referred The Wall Street Journal and CNN to remarks Trump made to reporters in Ankara on Wednesday. “They want to take out the US leader, me,” Trump said. “I’m on every list. I saw this morning, I’m on every single one of their lists.
The development comes as Washington and Tehran continue diplomatic efforts despite renewed hostilities. CNN reported that US and Iranian officials are still working towards a nuclear agreement by mid-August even as military contingency planning has continued in parallel. According to the broadcaster, multiple officials said US forces had prepared for possible strikes, but diplomacy remained the preferred option.
The reports also surface amid growing differences between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the course of the conflict with Iran. According to The Wall Street Journal, Netanyahu has pushed for continued military operations to achieve additional war objectives, while Trump has sought an exit from the conflict over concerns about broader economic fallout.
US officials have long warned that Iran could seek revenge against Trump over the 2020 drone strike that killed Qassem Soleimani, the former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force, during Trump’s first term. Iran has repeatedly vowed retaliation for Soleimani’s killing. The latest reports also come against the backdrop of heightened anti-US rhetoric in Iran following the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.