United States President Donald Trump has claimed that Iran considers him its top assassination target, as Israel reportedly shared intelligence with the United States alleging that Tehran recently developed a new plot to kill the US leader, according to multiple American media reports.
The development was first reported by The Wall Street Journal on Friday, which said Israeli authorities passed the intelligence to US officials earlier this week.
CNN also confirmed the report, citing two sources familiar with the matter, who said the warning involved a specific alleged plot that differed from broader threats already being monitored by US intelligence agencies.
Details of the alleged assassination plan have not been made public. According to the reports, American intelligence agencies have not independently verified the Israeli information and were not previously tracking the specific plot before receiving the warning.
Read Also:
- Trump Declares Iran Ceasefire Dead, Describes Iranian Leaders As “Scum, Sick People”
- Strait Of Hormuz: US Launches Fresh Airstrikes On Iran After Commercial Shipping Attacks
- Iran’s Supreme Leader Absent As Senior Officials Attend Ayatollah Khamenei’s Funeral
The report said some US officials viewed the intelligence as part of a wider Israeli effort to influence President Trump’s decision on whether to intensify US military action against Iran. It added that sections of the US intelligence community remain cautious when assessing Israeli threat reports.
Responding to questions about the reports, the White House referred journalists to remarks made by Trump during the NATO summit in Ankara, Türkiye.
“They want to take out the US leader, me,” Trump told reporters. “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.”
Trump also said he had recently learned that Iran regarded him as its top assassination target, although it remains unclear whether he was referring specifically to the intelligence reportedly supplied by Israel.
US officials have long warned that Iran could seek revenge against Trump over the 2020 US drone strike that killed Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani during Trump’s first term in office. Iranian leaders have repeatedly vowed to avenge Soleimani’s death.
The latest reports come amid growing differences between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over strategy toward Iran. While Netanyahu has reportedly advocated sustained military pressure on Tehran, Trump has favoured preserving a ceasefire, citing concerns about the broader economic consequences of an escalating conflict.
The two leaders spoke by telephone on Thursday, with Netanyahu’s office saying they agreed to maintain close coordination between both countries. Trump also reportedly briefed the Israeli leader on recent US activities in the Gulf region.
The intelligence-sharing claims also follow funeral ceremonies held in Iran for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was reportedly killed at the start of the recent conflict. During the events, some mourners were seen chanting slogans calling for Trump’s death.
The reports emerged just days after a fragile 60-day ceasefire between Washington and Tehran collapsed following renewed exchanges of military strikes.
