Israel's warning of Iran plotting to kill Trump an attempt at destabilising US-Iran peace deal? Here's what we know
The US and Iran have once again resumed fighting days after Tehran attacked commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. As the fighting escalates, Israel
The US and Iran have once again resumed fighting days after Tehran attacked commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. As the fighting escalates, Israel on Thursday (local time) shared a new intelligence report with the US, warning that Iran recently devised a plan to assassinate US President Donald Trump. CNN, citing one of the sources, said that the warning came earlier this week, while US officials said that the report could be an attempt on Tel Aviv's part to influence Trump's decision-making as he considers whether to intensify attacks against Iran. Is Israel swaying the US with latest report? The report added that Israel's latest intelligence is viewed, at least in part, as part of a wider effort by the Tel Aviv government to influence the US President's decision-making on Tehran. The source also said some within the US intelligence community remain cautious about Israeli intelligence assessments. Earlier in June, The Washington Post reported that US intelligence agencies warned the Trump administration that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would take steps to undermine the US President's efforts to reach a lasting peace deal with Tehran.
Previously, Netanyahu had expressed deep concerns about Trump's efforts at diplomacy with Iran, a move that had cost him his friendly relations with the US President. The ties between the two leaders have also been strained after Trump yelled at Netanyahu for Israel's military action in Lebanon, which complicated the US-Iran peace talks. Iran plans to kill Trump? The details of the assassination plot that Tel Aviv warned about were not immediately clear, with US officials stating that Washington had not vetted the intelligence itself, nor had it been tracking it before Israel's warning. US intelligence had been receiving a steady stream of reports over the last few weeks that suggested Tehran's plans to assassinate Trump; however, the latest warning from Tel Aviv pointed to a specific plan. The US government has long warned that Tehran may try to assassinate Trump in retaliation for the 2020 drone strike that killed Qasem Soleimani, a top Iranian general. Additionally, two sources familiar with the latest US intelligence said that several actors are being tracked who have discussed attacks but haven't taken any action so far.
The US intelligence agencies are also concerned that Tehran could target several current and former officials. Trump's remarks on Iran's plan to kill him Speaking to reporters on Wednesday (local time), Trump said, "They want to take out the US leader — me," and added, "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. 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." Later, the US President said that he had learned of a new list on which he was ranked as Iran's top assassination target. However, it remains unclear whether he was referring to the latest Israeli intelligence report. US-Iran tensions escalate Earlier this week, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) attacked several ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, an arterial waterway that has been a sticking point in negotiations between the US and Iran.
The BriefWire