Israel has reportedly shared intelligence with the United States about an alleged new Iranian plot to assassinate U.S. President Donald Trump, amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran.
According to reports by the Wall Street Journal, Israeli intelligence passed the information to U.S. officials earlier this week, warning of what was described as a fresh and specific threat against the U.S. president.
The report said the alleged threat was not previously being tracked by U.S. intelligence agencies and had yet to be independently verified.
The alleged assassination plot comes against the backdrop of Iran’s longstanding threats to avenge the January 2020 killing of Gen. Qasem Soleimani, former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force, in a U.S. drone strike ordered by Trump during his first term.
Speaking during the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, Trump acknowledged that he remained a target of Iranian threats.
“They want to take out the U.S. leader — me,” the president said, adding that he believed he remained on Iran’s target list.
Reports also indicated that Trump switched aircraft for his return trip from Turkey as part of enhanced security measures after concerns were raised over the alleged threat.
The development comes amid reports of strains in Trump’s relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the handling of the conflict involving Iran, although both countries continue close intelligence cooperation.
Neither the Israeli government nor Iran officially commented on the report, while the White House referred enquiries to Trump’s public remarks at the NATO summit.
The latest development is expected to further heighten tensions between the United States and Iran, whose relations have remained volatile since Soleimani’s killing in 2020.
