Israel allegedly dly had a covert plan to assassinate Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, but U.S. President Donald Trump blocked the operation, according to Reuters.
Two unnamed officials told the news outlet that Israeli intelligence believed they had a viable opportunity to eliminate Iran’s top political and religious figure. However, Trump reportedly urged restraint, warning against such a provocative move unless American lives were directly targeted.
“Have the Iranians killed an American yet? No. Until they do, we’re not even talking about going after the political leadership,” one official quoted Trump as saying.
The claim was further corroborated by Axios journalist Barak Ravid, who confirmed through his sources that Trump had intervened to halt Israel’s plan to kill the Islamic Republic’s supreme leader.
Tensions between Israel and Iran have surged in recent weeks, with the region teetering on the edge of full-scale war. On Sunday night, Iran launched a fresh wave of missile strikes into Israel, hitting multiple sites and injuring at least seven people, including a 72-year-old woman. These attacks came just days after Israel launched one of its longest-range airstrikes, targeting a refueling aircraft in Iran’s Mashhad Airport—nearly 1,400 miles away.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, when pressed about the assassination plot during an interview on Fox News, declined to confirm or deny the report.
“There’s so many false reports of conversations that never happened, and I’m not going to get into that,” Netanyahu said.
“But I can tell you, I think that we do what we need to do. And I think the United States knows what is good for the United States.”
The escalating conflict began after Iran accused Israel of orchestrating five car bomb explosions near key government buildings in Tehran. In response, Israel’s air force launched an intense campaign against Iranian targets, sparking three days of retaliatory attacks.
Israel’s missile defense systems, bolstered by U.S. support, have been working around the clock to intercept Iranian ballistic missiles and drone swarms. Yet several strikes have still hit Israeli territory—two in the north and south—and caused significant damage in cities like Haifa, where shrapnel injured at least two people and fires broke out.
According to human rights observers in Iran, the Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 406 people and injured over 650 more. With limited civilian protection infrastructure, many Iranians have fled Tehran, causing mass congestion as roads out of the capital became gridlocked. In contrast, Israel’s civilian shelters have been actively protecting citizens during air raids.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have issued fresh evacuation orders in Tehran, advising civilians to avoid all military facilities as fighting intensifies.
Despite the mounting casualties and devastation, Trump expressed optimism that a diplomatic resolution was still possible.
“Iran and Israel should make a deal, and will make a deal,” “Just like I got India and Pakistan to make, in that case by using TRADE with the United States to bring reason, cohesion, and sanity into the talks. We will have PEACE, soon, between Israel and Iran!” Trump posted on Truth Social.
“Many calls and meetings now taking place,” he continued. “I do a lot, and never get credit for anything, but that’s OK, the PEOPLE understand. MAKE THE MIDDLE EAST GREAT AGAIN!”
