As Iran and Israel tensions escalate, President Trump issues warning
As the conflict with Israel and Iran escalates, President Trump warned Iran not to strike any U.S. targets.
WASHINGTON ― President Donald Trump rejected an Israeli plan in recent days to kill Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a senior U.S. official told USA TODAY on June 15, as Trump pushes for a peace deal between the two nations.
The U.S. official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive talks, confirmed that Israel was presented with an opportunity to kill Khamenei but Trump objected to he plan and steered them off.
Reuters first reported on Trump vetoing the plan to take out the top Iranian leader.
A senior Trump administration official told Reuters: “Have the Iranians killed an American yet? No. Until they do, we’re not even talking about going after the political leadership.”
It was not immediately clear whether Trump or other administration officials delivered the president’s position to Israel regarding Iran’s top leader.
U.S. officials have been in regular communication with their Israeli counterparts since Israel carried out its June 13 airstrikes targeting Iranian sites that are critical to the country’s nuclear program. Iran and Israel have since traded attacks.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the Reuters report during a Sunday interview on Fox News Channel’s “Special Report With Bret Baier.”
“There’s so many false reports of conversations that never happened. I’m not going to get into that,” Netanyahu said. “But I can tell you, I think that we do what we need to do, we’ll do what we need to do, and I think the United States knows what’s good for the United States.”
Netanyahu also did not deny that an Iranian regime change is part of Israel’s objectives with its military operation in Iran.
“It could certainly be the result because the Iran regime is very weak,” Netanyahu said. “I think it’s basically left with two things. Its plans to have atomic bombs and ballistic missiles. That’s basically what Iran has. They certainly don’t have the people. Eighty percent of the people would throw these theologicals thug out.”
In a June 15 post on Truth Social, Trump warned Iran not to strike any U.S. targets as its conflict with Israel escalates, saying the “full strength and might” of America’s military could be used against Iran.
“Sometimes they have to fight it out, but we’re going to see what happens, ” Trump told reporters Sunday evening outside the White House before he departed for Alberta, Canada, for a Group of Seven nations summit. “I think there’s a good chance there will be a deal.”
Contributing: Reuters
Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.
