President Donald Trump rejected an Israeli proposal to assassinate Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, The Associated Press reported on Monday, citing a US official familiar with the matter. The official confirmed to the news agency that Israeli officials had briefed the Trump administration on a plan to target Khamenei, but the White House made it clear that such an action was not supported by the US president.
In a televised interview with Fox News, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not directly address the rejection but suggested Israel would act according to its own needs. “But I can tell you, I think that we do what we need to do, we’ll do what we need to do,” Netanyahu said, according to the AP. He also emphasised that “the United States knows what is good for the United States,” hinting at Israel’s autonomy in dealing with Iran.
Netanyahu’s spokesperson, Omer Dostri, later dismissed the reports of the Israeli plan as “fake,” as reported by the AP.
The Trump administration has been keen to avoid further escalation in the region, as tensions between Israel and Iran have reached new heights. Trump himself issued a stark warning to Iran on Sunday, threatening severe consequences if the US is attacked in any way, following a series of missile exchanges between Israel and Iranian forces.
“If we are attacked in any way, shape or form by Iran, the full strength and might of the US Armed Forces will come down on you at levels never seen before,” Trump warned in a social media post.
Despite the aggressive rhetoric, Trump has suggested that a diplomatic deal between Israel and Iran could be imminent. “Iran and Israel should make a deal, and will make a deal,” Trump posted, urging both nations to seek a resolution.
As Trump departs for the G7 summit in Canada, where he is expected to discuss the Middle East crisis with leaders from seven other nations, he reiterated his past successes in conflict de-escalation. “I hope there is going to be a deal, and we’ll see what happens, but sometimes they have to fight it out,” Trump said in comments to reporters, per AP.
He also referenced what he claims was his role in easing tensions between India and Pakistan during the recent conflict.
According to the report, Trump’s approach to the Israel-Iran conflict has created division within his party. While some of his supporters, such as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, argue against US involvement in foreign wars, others, like GOP Senators Lindsey Graham and Rand Paul, have voiced differing views.
Senator Rand Paul, a consistent critic of foreign intervention, expressed hope that Trump’s restraint would continue. “I think it’s going to be very hard to come out of this and have a negotiated settlement,” Paul reportedly said, adding, “I see more war and more carnage. And it’s not the US’s job to be involved in this war.”
On the other hand, Senator Lindsey Graham voiced support for a more aggressive stance if diplomacy fails. “If diplomacy doesn’t work, Trump should ‘go all in’ on destroying Iran’s nuclear program,” Graham said, according to the AP. “If that means providing bombs, provide bombs.”
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