Iran is planning to assassinate Trump, Israel claims

Al Jazeera reports that the influential US media outlet The Wall Street Journal reported this information in a report published on Friday (July 10) about the plan to assassinate Trump. Meanwhile, another US media outlet CNN reported that the intelligence information is related to a 'specific plan' to assassinate Trump.

However, the US government or Iran has not yet commented on these claims and reports. Although Washington has previously claimed several times that they have foiled several attempts by Iran to assassinate Trump.

While speaking to reporters in Ankara, Turkey on the sidelines of the NATO summit this week, Trump also said that Iran has listed him as an assassination target.

CNN reports that Iran has recently made a new plan to assassinate Trump and that Israel has shared such intelligence information with the United States. Two sources familiar with the matter have reported this information.

One source claims that Israel issued this warning this week. Another source said the United States had been receiving intelligence for weeks about a possible plot to assassinate Trump. But the information provided by Israel was new and related to a specific plan.

However, some US officials believe that Israel may have provided the information to influence Trump’s decision on whether to take further military action against Iran.

However, details of the plan that Israel has announced were not immediately available. Two sources familiar with the matter said that the United States has not yet independently verified the information provided by Israel and that it was not looking at any specific plan before receiving the warning.

However, the United States has long warned that Iran could try to assassinate Trump in retaliation for the killing of top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in a US drone strike ordered by Trump in 2020.

Meanwhile, the White House pointed to Trump’s recent statements when asked to comment on the Israeli warning.

Last Wednesday, Trump told reporters, “They want to remove the leader of the United States, which is me. I’m on all their lists. I saw this morning, I’m on every one of them. I may have been lucky so far, but I don’t know how long it will be. They are terrible people. This cancer has to be eradicated. The cancer has to be cut out at the beginning.’

Trump later said that he had recently learned that his name was at the top of Iran’s assassination list. However, it is not clear whether he was referring to the new intelligence provided by Israel.

Recently, during the funeral and final farewell ceremonies of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, many people chanted slogans demanding the death penalty for Trump.

Tensions between the United States and Iran have increased in recent days. The two countries have been exchanging threats and attacks after a 60-day ceasefire effectively collapsed.

Two sources familiar with the latest US intelligence reports said that several sides have discussed attacks but have not yet taken any action. One of them said that intelligence agencies are concerned that Iran could also target some current and former senior US officials.

However, according to the source, many see the information provided by Israel as part of a larger effort to influence Trump's decision-making on Iran. A section of the US intelligence community is always somewhat wary of information provided by Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also expressed doubts about Trump's diplomatic initiatives with Iran. He has also disagreed with Trump over Israel's military actions in Lebanon.

However, Trump and Netanyahu spoke by phone on Thursday. Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with Trump in Washington soon.

Meanwhile, a US official said on Thursday that despite the recent attacks and Trump's announcement that the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) had ended, diplomatic talks with Iran are continuing behind the scenes. Washington and Tehran are trying to reach a nuclear deal by mid-August.

Several officials said that preparations were made for an attack on Thursday night if necessary. However, that plan has been put on hold for now to give diplomacy a chance.

Even the US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln has its fighter jets armed and pilots practicing for possible missions. The ship's commanding officer, Dan Keeler, told the sailors that the situation is getting increasingly tense.

And amid these preparations, the fighter jets are conducting routine day and night defensive patrols.