Israel has passed fresh intelligence to the United States alleging that Iran has developed a new plan to assassinate US President Donald Trump, according to multiple media reports. The Wall Street Journal reported that Israel communicated the intelligence to US officials this week, while CNN, citing two sources familiar with the matter, stated that the warning referred to a specific alleged plot.
Details of the Alleged Plot
The exact details of the purported plan remain unclear. CNN reported that US agencies had not independently verified the intelligence nor were they tracking the alleged plot before Israel's warning. Some US officials believe the Israeli intelligence may be part of a broader effort by Israel to influence Trump's decision on whether to intensify American military action against Iran.
One source told CNN that US intelligence has been monitoring a steady flow of threats against Trump in recent weeks, but described the Israeli warning as new because it referred to a specific alleged plan.
White House Response
The White House declined to comment directly on the reported intelligence, referring both The Wall Street Journal and CNN to remarks Trump made on Wednesday while speaking to reporters in Ankara, Turkey. "They want to take out the US leader, me," Trump said during the press briefing. "I'm on every list. I saw this morning, I'm on every single one of their lists. And so far, I guess I've been a little bit lucky, but that maybe doesn't last very long."
Later, Trump also said he had recently learned of a new list ranking him as Iran's top assassination target. However, it remains unclear whether the US President was referring to the specific Israeli intelligence cited in the reports.
Diplomatic and Military Context
The latest development comes as diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran continue despite renewed hostilities. CNN reported that US and Iranian officials are still working towards a nuclear agreement by mid-August, even as preparations for possible military action have continued in parallel. Multiple officials told the broadcaster that while US forces made contingency preparations for potential strikes, diplomacy remained the preferred course.
The reports also emerge against the backdrop of growing differences between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the direction of the conflict with Iran. According to The Wall Street Journal, Netanyahu has argued for continuing military operations against Iran to achieve additional war objectives, while Trump has sought an exit from the conflict over concerns about its wider economic consequences.
The two leaders spoke by phone on Thursday, with Netanyahu's office saying they agreed to continue coordination between their countries and discussed recent US activity in the Gulf.
Background of Threats
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 Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force, during Trump's first term. Iran has repeatedly vowed retaliation for Soleimani's killing.
Over the weekend, mourners attending funeral proceedings for Iran's former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, chanted slogans calling for Trump's death, with The Wall Street Journal reporting that a banner reading "We Will Kill Trump" was displayed during the ceremony.
