Trump Rejects Israeli Plan to Target Iran's Supreme Leader
US officials confirm President Trump vetoed an Israeli operation aimed at assassinating Ayatollah Ali Khamenei amid heightened tensions over Iran's nuclear program.
President Donald Trump recently vetoed an Israeli plan to assassinate Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to two US officials.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, stated that the decision came during intensified discussions between US and Israeli officials following Israel's significant military actions targeting Iran's nuclear program.
In remarks attributed to a senior US administration official, it was communicated that the administration is not considering action against Iran's political leadership unless there are direct casualties of American personnel caused by Iranian actions.
The source emphasized, "Have the Iranians killed an American yet?
No. Until they do we’re not even talking about going after the political leadership."
Israeli officials reported that they had an opportunity to neutralize Khamenei but received a clear directive from the Trump administration to refrain from executing the plan.
Although it remains unclear whether Trump personally communicated the veto, he has maintained an active dialogue with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu throughout this period.
In response to inquiries about the report during an interview with Fox News, Netanyahu acknowledged the existence of many inaccurate reports regarding conversations with the US. He stated, "There’s so many false reports of conversations that never happened, and I’m not going to get into that." However, he also affirmed that Israel will continually act in accordance with its national security needs, hinting at a collaborative understanding with the US on matters of mutual interest.
Amidst these developments, Trump has expressed a desire to revive negotiations with Iran concerning its nuclear program, which were disrupted following Israel's military actions.
Scheduled talks in Oman that were anticipated for that Sunday were canceled due to the ongoing escalation in regional tensions.
Trump, in comments made to reporters, stated, "We knew everything about the Israeli strikes," suggesting close intelligence sharing between the two countries.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, stated that the decision came during intensified discussions between US and Israeli officials following Israel's significant military actions targeting Iran's nuclear program.
In remarks attributed to a senior US administration official, it was communicated that the administration is not considering action against Iran's political leadership unless there are direct casualties of American personnel caused by Iranian actions.
The source emphasized, "Have the Iranians killed an American yet?
No. Until they do we’re not even talking about going after the political leadership."
Israeli officials reported that they had an opportunity to neutralize Khamenei but received a clear directive from the Trump administration to refrain from executing the plan.
Although it remains unclear whether Trump personally communicated the veto, he has maintained an active dialogue with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu throughout this period.
In response to inquiries about the report during an interview with Fox News, Netanyahu acknowledged the existence of many inaccurate reports regarding conversations with the US. He stated, "There’s so many false reports of conversations that never happened, and I’m not going to get into that." However, he also affirmed that Israel will continually act in accordance with its national security needs, hinting at a collaborative understanding with the US on matters of mutual interest.
Amidst these developments, Trump has expressed a desire to revive negotiations with Iran concerning its nuclear program, which were disrupted following Israel's military actions.
Scheduled talks in Oman that were anticipated for that Sunday were canceled due to the ongoing escalation in regional tensions.
Trump, in comments made to reporters, stated, "We knew everything about the Israeli strikes," suggesting close intelligence sharing between the two countries.
