Israel Warns the United States of an Alleged Iranian Plot to Assassinate Trump
Israeli Channel 12 has reported that Tel Aviv passed unverified intelligence to Washington concerning what it described as an “Iranian discussion about assassinating the US president.” According to the broadcaster, the move was intended to improve the increasingly strained relationship between Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump while attempting to influence the US administration’s policy toward Tehran.
According to Channel 12, Israel shared intelligence with the United States regarding what it claimed was an “Iranian plot to assassinate US President Donald Trump,” amid heightened regional tensions following Washington’s decision to terminate its memorandum of understanding with Tehran.
The centrist Israeli television channel stated that the purpose of providing the alleged intelligence was to “warm relations” between Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose relationship has reportedly experienced disagreements in recent months.
Citing two senior US officials, Channel 12 reported that “the information provided by Israel did not concern a specific and detailed assassination plan targeting Donald Trump, but rather consisted of a single intelligence report referring to a general discussion among Iranian officials on the subject, without further verification.”
According to those officials, Israel conveyed the intelligence report in an effort to influence Donald Trump’s policy toward Iran and to strengthen relations between Netanyahu and Trump.
On Monday, Benjamin Netanyahu stated during an interview with Fox News that the date of his next visit to Washington had not yet been determined. He acknowledged the existence of disagreements with Donald Trump, saying, “We have a mechanism for resolving our differences,” without providing further details.
In the same context, Channel 12 reported that senior US officials regard the information supplied by Israel as useful for the general monitoring of potential threats against Donald Trump. However, the US intelligence community does not consider it to constitute a warning of an imminent assassination attempt.
The channel also quoted an unnamed senior US official as saying that “over the past year, Israel has transmitted several similar intelligence reports concerning statements by Iranian figures or members of the pro-Iran axis discussing the need to harm Donald Trump.”
Channel 12 further noted that Donald Trump referred to threats against his life on Wednesday while speaking with journalists during his visit to Turkey for the NATO Summit. He stated: “They want to eliminate the leader of the United States—me. I’m on all of their lists. I saw this morning that I was on every one of their lists. So far, I think I’ve been lucky, but that luck may not last.”
The broadcaster also reported that mourners attending the funeral of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei chanted slogans calling for Trump’s death and waved a banner reading, “We will kill Trump.”
These developments come amid escalating tensions between Tehran and Washington. On Thursday, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that it had carried out a new round of strikes against approximately 90 Iranian military targets, including air defense systems, missile and drone storage facilities, naval capabilities, and military logistical infrastructure along Iran’s coastline.
In response, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that it had targeted US military bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan, warning that it would expand its attacks if US strikes continued.
The Gulf region has experienced escalating tensions since the outbreak of the US-Israeli war against Iran on 28 February.
Since Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding on 18 June, negotiations have continued with difficulty under the mediation of Qatar and Pakistan in an effort to reach a final agreement.
