Just a day after US President Donald Trump claimed he is on Iran’s number one kill list, suggesting an assassination plot due to the targeting of top Iranian leaders, a report from the Wall Street Journal indicated that Israel’s intelligence had warned the US about this threat. If confirmed, this finding would signify a serious escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran.
Iran has openly said for years that it wants revenge for the killing of Qassem Soleimani, one of the country’s top military commanders in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Soleimani was killed in a US drone strike ordered by Trump during his first term as president.
Israel’s intelligence raises new concerns over alleged plot against Trump
According to a separate report from CNN, Israel passed on the warning earlier this week and that US intelligence agencies had already been seeing a steady flow of information in recent weeks about possible threats against Trump.
The Israeli Embassy in Washington is yet to comment on the report. Earlier, speaking to reporters in Ankara, Turkey, Trump suggested that he believes Iran is trying to target him.
“They want to take out the US leader, me,” Trump said. “I’m on every list. I saw this morning, I’m on every single one of their lists. And so far, I guess I’ve been a little bit lucky, but that maybe doesn’t last very long.” His comments came as concerns continue to grow over security threats linked to the ongoing conflict with Iran.
The report comes at a time when relations between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have become strained over how to deal with Iran.
Netanyahu has pushed for continuing military attacks on Iran and achieving more of Israel’s war goals. Trump, on the other hand, has been looking for a way to move away from the conflict, warning that a prolonged war could hurt the global economy. The United States helped secure a fragile ceasefire with Iran last month.
Despite their differences, Trump and Netanyahu spoke on Thursday, according to the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office. The statement said both leaders agreed to continue “coordination between the countries.” It also said Trump updated Netanyahu on recent US activity in the Gulf.
Anti-Trump slogans heard at funeral gathering
The latest intelligence report also comes after large crowds gathered at the funeral for Iran’s slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. During the funeral, mourners chanted slogans calling for Trump’s death. Some people also displayed a banner that read, “We Will Kill Trump.”
Some American officials believe the Israeli intelligence may also be an attempt to influence Trump’s decisions as he considers whether the US should increase military action against Iran.
The exact details of the alleged assassination plot are still unclear. For years, US officials have warned that Iran could try to kill Trump in revenge for the 2020 drone strike that killed Qasem Soleimani, one of Iran’s top military commanders.
When asked about the Israeli warning, the White House referred to comments Trump made earlier this week about the threats against him. “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,” Trump told reporters on Wednesday.
Later, Trump also said he had recently learned about a new list that ranked him as Iran’s top assassination target. It is not clear whether he was referring to the intelligence shared by Israel.
Ceasefire weakens as tensions rise again
Relations between the US and Iran have become more tense in recent days. Both sides have exchanged threats and carried out fresh strikes, raising fears that the 60-day ceasefire is close to falling apart.
On the other hand, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has openly questioned Trump’s diplomatic approach toward Iran. The two leaders have also disagreed over Israel’s military operations in Lebanon, which complicated negotiations with Tehran.
Even as tensions remain high, diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran are continuing behind the scenes.
On Thursday, one US official told CNN both countries are still working toward reaching a nuclear agreement by the middle of August, even after Trump declared a day earlier that the Memorandum of Understanding with Iran was “over.”
Several officials said the US military had prepared for possible strikes on Thursday night if needed, but those plans were put on hold to give diplomacy more time.