Israel has provided the United States with new intelligence concerning an alleged Iranian plot to assassinate former President Donald Trump, according to reports on Wednesday. The development comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran, and just months before the U.S. presidential election.
Fresh intelligence shared
The intelligence, which was shared in recent days, reportedly details a plan by Iranian operatives to target Trump on U.S. soil. According to sources familiar with the matter, the information includes specific details about the alleged plot, though the exact nature of the threat remains unclear. The New York Times first reported the intelligence sharing, citing anonymous U.S. and Israeli officials.
Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency is said to have gathered the information through human sources and signals intelligence. The intelligence was passed to the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security, which have since increased security measures around the former president. A U.S. official confirmed that the threat is being taken seriously, though no specific timeline or location has been identified.
Background of tensions
The alleged plot is part of a broader pattern of Iranian hostility toward the United States, particularly targeting former officials involved in the 2020 killing of Qasem Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s Quds Force. Trump ordered the drone strike that killed Soleimani in Baghdad, prompting Iran to vow revenge. In 2022, the U.S. Justice Department charged an Iranian national with plotting to assassinate John Bolton, Trump’s former national security advisor, in retaliation for Soleimani’s death.
Iran has consistently denied involvement in such plots, calling them fabrications by the U.S. and Israel. However, U.S. intelligence agencies have warned that Iran remains determined to retaliate for Soleimani’s killing. In a statement, the Iranian mission to the United Nations dismissed the latest report as baseless, accusing Israel of seeking to provoke conflict.
Impact on U.S. politics
The revelation comes at a politically sensitive time, with Trump running as the Republican candidate in the 2024 presidential election. The former president has already faced two assassination attempts during his campaign, one in July and another in September, though neither was linked to Iran. The new intelligence is likely to further inflame tensions between the U.S. and Iran, and could influence the election campaign.
“The United States will not tolerate any threats against our current or former leaders,” a White House spokesperson said. “We are working closely with our Israeli partners to ensure the safety of all Americans.” Trump’s campaign team has not commented on the report, but the former president has previously accused Iran of trying to kill him.
International reaction
The intelligence sharing has been praised by some U.S. lawmakers as a sign of strong cooperation between Washington and Jerusalem. Senator Tom Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas, said: “Israel has once again demonstrated its invaluable intelligence capabilities. The Biden administration must take this threat seriously and respond with strength.” Meanwhile, Democratic Senator Chris Murphy urged caution, saying: “We need to verify the intelligence independently before drawing conclusions.”
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani called the allegations “a Zionist conspiracy to divert attention from Israel’s crimes in Gaza.” He reiterated that Iran has no intention of assassinating foreign officials. However, the U.S. State Department has designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a foreign terrorist organization, and sanctions remain in place.
