Israel warned the United States that Iran had recently devised a new plan to assassinate President Donald Trump, according to a new report, adding another explosive threat to an already collapsing ceasefire.
Two sources familiar with the matter told CNN that Israel shared intelligence with Washington about the alleged plot as tensions between the U.S. and Iran continue to spiral.
One source said the warning came this week.
Another said U.S. officials had already been tracking a steady drumbeat of intelligence in recent weeks about possible Iranian plots to kill Trump, but the Israeli warning was new and concerned a specific plan.
The details of the alleged plot were not immediately clear.
Two sources familiar with the matter said the U.S. had not vetted the intelligence itself and had not been tracking that specific threat before Israel raised the alarm.
Some American officials suggested the Israeli report could be aimed at shaping Trump’s decision-making as he weighs whether to expand U.S. military action against Iran.
The U.S. government has long warned that Iran may seek to assassinate Trump in revenge for the 2020 drone strike he ordered that killed Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani.
The White House did not directly comment on the Israeli warning, which was first reported by The Wall Street Journal, but pointed to Trump’s recent comments about Iranian threats against him.
“They want to take out the US leader — me,” Trump told reporters Wednesday. “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.”
Trump later said he had recently learned of a new list ranking him as Iran’s top assassination target.
It was not immediately clear whether he was referring to the new Israeli intelligence.
Over the weekend, crowds of Iranians called for Trump’s death during funeral proceedings for slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed at the start of the war.
The warning comes as the 60-day ceasefire between Washington and Tehran appears to be falling apart.
The two sides have traded threats and strikes in recent days, with Trump declaring that the memorandum of understanding with Iran was “over.”
Two sources familiar with recent U.S. intelligence said agencies are tracking several actors who have discussed attacks but have not taken action.
One source said U.S. intelligence agencies have been concerned Iran could target multiple current and former senior officials.
But that source said the Israeli report is viewed, at least in part, as one piece of a broader Israeli effort to influence Trump’s Iran policy.
Some in the intelligence community are consistently skeptical of Israeli reporting, the source said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been deeply wary of Trump’s diplomatic outreach to Iran and has pushed for a harder line against Tehran.
Netanyahu has also clashed with Trump over Israeli military action in Lebanon, which complicated the talks.
The two leaders spoke by phone Thursday, and Netanyahu is expected to travel to Washington soon for talks with the president.
Despite the renewed fighting and Donald Trump’s public fury, another U.S. official said diplomatic efforts with Iran are still moving quietly behind the scenes.
Washington and Tehran are still working toward a nuclear deal by mid-August.
Multiple officials said preparations had been made for possible U.S. strikes Thursday night if needed, but the administration held off in favor of diplomacy.
Earlier Thursday aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, crews loaded fighter jets with weapons and pilots conducted drills in case they were ordered to carry out strikes.
The carrier’s commanding officer, Dan Keeler, told thousands of crew members on board that things were heating up.
As those preparations unfolded, fighter pilots continued routine defensive operations, with aircraft taking off throughout the day and night.
The alleged assassination plot now gives Trump another reason to distrust Tehran at a moment when the regime is already testing American patience.
For the White House, the message is clear: Iran is not just threatening ships, bases and oil markets.
According to the latest intelligence warning, it may still be trying to take out the president himself.
