Israel has shared new intelligence with the United States that, according to sources familiar with the matter, indicates an alleged Iranian plot to assassinate U.S. President Donald Trump.
The report was published by The Wall Street Journal, which said the intelligence represents a new escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran.
According to the newspaper, Iran has publicly vowed for years to seek revenge against Trump over the killing of Qassem Soleimani, a senior commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, during Trump’s first presidential term.
Trump also acknowledged the possibility of such a scenario, while suggesting that Iran’s current leadership could face the same fate as previous leaders if it continues its confrontation with the United States.
“Their leaders are gone. Then they chose new leaders. They were gone too. Now they have another group of leaders. They could disappear as well, who knows? And you know what? I might not be here either, because I’m their number one target. I’m number one on their assassination list,” Trump said.
In recent weeks, relations between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have reportedly cooled over differences regarding the continuation of military action against Iran. Netanyahu has argued in favor of continuing strikes against Iran and pursuing additional military objectives.
Trump, on the other hand, has called for a path out of the conflict, expressing concern that further escalation could trigger major disruptions to the global economy.
According to the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, Trump and Netanyahu spoke by phone a day earlier and agreed to continue close coordination between the two countries.
The statement also said that Trump briefed Netanyahu on recent U.S. activities in the Persian Gulf.
It is important to note that the reported assassination plot is based on intelligence cited by media sources and has not been independently verified publicly.
