US President Donald Trump turned down a proposal presented by Israel to assassinate Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to a US official familiar with the matter. Israeli officials recently informed the Trump administration that they had formulated a credible plan to eliminate Khamenei.
Trump was opposed to Israel's plan to assassinate Iran Supreme leader
After receiving a briefing on the plan, the White House communicated to Israeli officials that President Trump was against them carrying out the operation, according to an official who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.
"Have the Iranians killed an American yet? No. Until they do, we're not even talking about going after the political leadership," one senior administration official was quoted as saying by Reuters.
The Trump administration is desperate to keep Israel's military operation aimed at decapitating Iran's nuclear programme from exploding into an even more expansive conflict and saw the plan to kill Khamenei as a move that would enflame the conflict and potentially destabilise the region.
What did the Israeli PM say?
When asked about the alleged assassination plan during an interview on Fox News Channel's Special Report with Bret Baier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu avoided directly confirming whether the White House had rejected the proposal. "There's so many false reports of conversations that never happened, and I'm not going to get into that."
"But I can tell you, I think that we do what we need to do, we will do what we need to do," Netanyahu said. "And I think the United States knows what is good for the United States."
Netanyahu's spokesperson, Omer Dostri, later called reports about the Israeli plan to kill Khamenei "fake". Netanyahu in the Fox interview also said regime change "could certainly be the result" of the conflict "because the Iranian regime is very weak".
Trump issued a stern warning to Iran
Meanwhile, Trump on Sunday issued a stark warning to Iran not to retaliate against US targets in the Middle East. In an early morning social media post, Trump said the United States "had nothing to do with the attack on Iran" as Israel and Iran traded missile attacks for the third straight day. Iran, however, has said it would hold the US -- which has provided Israel with much of its deep arsenal of weaponry -- responsible for its backing of Israel.
"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 said.
The warning to Iran was issued after reports emerged that Tehran had threatened to strike US, UK, and French military bases and naval vessels in the region if those countries attempted to interfere with Iran’s attacks on Israel.
Hours later, Trump took to social media again to predict "Iran and Israel should make a deal, and will make a deal" and that it could come "soon". "I hope there is going to be a deal, and we will see what happens, but sometimes they have to fight it out," Trump said.
The conflict is expected to loom large during his talks with the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the European Union.
The US president said he has a track record for de-escalating conflicts, and that he would get Israel and Iran to cease hostilities "just like I got India and Pakistan to" after the two countries' recent cross-border confrontation.
Trump also pointed to efforts by his administration during his first term to mediate disputes between Serbia and Kosovo and Egypt and Ethiopia. "Likewise, we will have PEACE, soon, between Israel and Iran!" Trump posted. "Many calls and meetings now taking place. I do a lot, and never get credit for anything, but that's OK, the PEOPLE understand. MAKE THE MIDDLE EAST GREAT AGAIN!"
(With AP inputs)
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