Israel shared intelligence with US of Iranian plot to assassinate Trump, sources say
Israeli Intelligence Alert: Tehran’s New Assassination Scheme Against President Trump
Israel shared intelligence with US of Iranian – According to two individuals knowledgeable about the situation, Israel transmitted crucial intelligence to American officials indicating that Iran has formulated a fresh strategy to eliminate President Donald Trump. This revelation adds complexity to an already fragile ceasefire arrangement between the two nations. One source indicated that this particular warning was delivered during the current week, while another explained that Washington had been receiving consistent intelligence reports over recent weeks regarding potential assassination attempts. However, the Israeli communication stood out as novel because it addressed a concrete, specific operation rather than general threats.
Political Implications and Skepticism
Several American officials have suggested that the Israeli intelligence report might represent an attempt to influence President Trump’s thinking as he considers whether to escalate American military operations against Iran. The specifics of the Israeli warning remained unclear at the time of reporting, and two sources confirmed that American authorities had not independently verified the information nor were they monitoring this particular plot prior to receiving the Israeli alert.
The United States government has consistently cautioned that Iran could attempt to assassinate Trump as retaliation for the 2020 drone strike that resulted in the death of prominent Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani. When asked about the Israeli warning, which was initially published by the Wall Street Journal, the White House directed attention to Trump’s recent statements regarding Iran’s intentions toward him.
“They want to take out the US leader — me,” Trump told reporters on Wednesday. “I’m on whatever list. I saw this morning I’m on every single one of their lists. And so far, I guess I’ve been a bit lucky, but maybe that doesn’t last very long. These are evil, sick people. And we have to root out that cancer. That cancer. You know what you do? You’ve got to cut out cancer early. And that’s the way I feel.”
Subsequently, Trump mentioned that he had recently become aware of a new ranking that placed him as Iran’s primary assassination target. It remains uncertain whether this reference connected to the fresh Israeli intelligence data. During the weekend, large groups of Iranians chanted for Trump’s death while attending funeral ceremonies for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed when the conflict began.
Escalating Tensions and Diplomatic Efforts
Relations between the United States and Iran have deteriorated significantly in recent days, with both nations exchanging threats and military strikes while a sixty-day ceasefire designed to halt hostilities appears to be collapsing. Two sources with knowledge of recent American intelligence assessments stated that the intelligence community is monitoring multiple actors who have discussed attacks but have not yet executed them. One source noted that American intelligence agencies have been particularly concerned about Iran targeting numerous current and former senior officials.
However, that same source indicated that the Israeli report is being interpreted partly as part of a wider Israeli campaign to shape Trump’s decision-making regarding Iran. Some members of the intelligence community maintain skepticism toward Israeli intelligence assessments, according to the source. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed serious doubts about Trump’s diplomatic initiatives with Iran and has had disagreements with the president over Israeli military operations in Lebanon, which complicated negotiations.
The two leaders held a telephone conversation on Thursday, and Netanyahu is anticipated to travel to Washington shortly for discussions with the president. On Thursday, another American official confirmed that diplomatic channels remain active behind the scenes, despite the resumption of strikes between the two nations and Trump’s statement the previous day declaring that the Memorandum of Understanding with Iran was finished.
Washington and Tehran are working toward securing a nuclear agreement by mid-August. Multiple officials reported that preparations for potential military strikes had been made for Thursday night, but decision-makers chose to prioritize diplomatic solutions. Earlier on Thursday aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, naval crews loaded fighter jets with weapons while pilots conducted practice drills in case they needed to execute strikes. The aircraft carrier’s commanding officer, Dan Keeler, informed thousands of crew members that situations were intensifying. Throughout the day and night, fighter pilots maintained routine defensive operations with continuous flights taking off and landing.
This developing story has been updated. CNN’s Zachary Cohen contributed to this report.
