WASHINGTON – Former US President Donald Trump rejected a secret Israeli proposal to assassinate Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to three American officials who spoke to CBS News, the BBC’s US media partner. The controversial plan was reportedly presented to Trump by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after Israel launched its first wave of strikes on Iran on Friday.
One official stated that Trump immediately dismissed the idea, reportedly telling Netanyahu that “it was not a good idea” and could dangerously escalate the conflict. Trump has not publicly addressed the report, and the White House has declined to comment.
While Netanyahu stopped short of confirming or denying the assassination proposal in a recent Fox News interview, he said, “There’s so many false reports of conversations that never happened and I’m not going to get into that.” He added, “We will do what we need to do, and I think the United States knows what is good for the United States.”
Israel’s Official Policy Under Scrutiny
Despite Netanyahu’s ambiguous remarks, an unnamed Israeli official told CBS News that Israel “in principle” does not kill political leaders. “We are focused on nuclear and military targets,” the official said. “I don’t think anyone making decisions about those programs should be living free and easy.”
The reported assassination plan followed Israel’s initial attacks on Iranian nuclear infrastructure on Friday. In response, Iran retaliated with a series of missile strikes, and by Sunday, the conflict had entered its third consecutive day, escalating tensions across the Middle East.
Analysts believe that killing a figure as symbolic and powerful as Khamenei would have triggered a full-scale regional war, drawing in Hezbollah, Syrian militias, and potentially US assets in the Gulf region. Trump’s reported veto has been described by former officials as a calculated move to avoid spiraling into an uncontrollable crisis just months before a possible re-election campaign.
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Trump Urges Peace While Defending Israel’s Right to Strike
In a post on Truth Social, Trump called on Iran and Israel to “make a deal”, invoking his past diplomatic efforts. “Just like I got India and Pakistan to pull back,” Trump wrote, “I will get Iran and Israel to stop. This madness can end.”
Speaking to reporters before departing for the G7 summit in Canada, Trump reaffirmed US support for Israel but refused to confirm whether he had advised Netanyahu to halt further attacks on Iran.
“The United States will always stand by Israel’s right to defend itself,” he said, before warning Tehran: “If we are attacked in any way, shape or form by Iran, the full strength and might of the U.S. Armed Forces will come down on you at levels never seen before.”
Nuclear Talks Collapse Amid Missile Barrages
The latest revelations come amid the collapse of planned US-Iran nuclear negotiations, which were scheduled to resume on Sunday in Oman. The talks were canceled at the last minute after Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi announced that Iran was no longer willing to negotiate under fire.
A diplomatic source told Reuters that Iran informed both Qatar and Oman that it would not consider a ceasefire while Israeli airstrikes continued. Tehran’s position hardened after strikes targeted multiple Iranian cities and military facilities.
This diplomatic freeze raises serious concerns about the fate of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, already on life support since Trump withdrew the US from the agreement in 2018.
While no official statement has been issued from Israel regarding the assassination plan, the developments reveal deep divisions between Tel Aviv and Washington on how to manage Iran’s growing regional influence — and how far they’re willing to go to confront it.
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