Israel shares intel on alleged new Iranian plot to kill Trump: Report

The Israeli warning reportedly concerned a new and specific plot, as the US assesses fresh intelligence amid heightened tensions with Tehran

Israel shared intelligence with the US about a possible Iranian plot to kill President Donald Trump, a report by The Wall Street Journal revealed on Thursday.

 

The new intel report could further escalate tensions between Washington and Tehran, which remain locked in a volatile confrontation following the recent conflict and the breakdown of the ceasefire.

 

Iran has previously threatened to kill Trump for years over the killing of Qassem Soleimani, a top general in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, during the president’s first term.

 

Trump indicated on Wednesday that his life might be under threat as he spoke to reporters in Ankara, Turkey.

 

“They want to take out the U.S. leader—me,” he said. “I’m on every list. I saw this morning, I’m on every single one of their lists. And so far, I guess I’ve been a little bit lucky, but that maybe doesn’t last very long,” the WSJ report quoted him as saying.

 

The intelligence concerned a new and specific alleged plot, even as US officials monitored a steady stream of possible Iranian threats against Trump, according to the report.

 

A CNN report noted the US had “picked up a steady drumbeat of intelligence” in recent weeks about possible plans to kill Trump, saying the warning came this week.

 

Washington is still assessing the intelligence, and it remains unclear how advanced the alleged plot was or whether Iran had taken steps to carry it out.

 

Why has Iran threatened Trump?

 

Iran has repeatedly vowed revenge against Trump for ordering the January 2020 US drone strike that killed Qassem Soleimani, the powerful commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' elite Quds Force.

 

US authorities have previously accused Tehran of plotting to assassinate Trump and other former American officials involved in Soleimani's killing.

 

The latest Israeli intelligence, however, reportedly concerns a new plot that US officials had not previously tracked.

 

Trump's security tightened

 

Trump's security precautions were stepped up during his visit to Turkey this week amid concerns over possible threats, according to CNN.

 

The president switched aircraft for his return journey to the US, transferring from the usual Air Force One to another presidential aircraft. The move was made as a security precaution, the report said.

 

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, who had travelled with Trump, also cancelled a planned visit to Israel. CNN reported that US officials were examining whether the potential threat could extend beyond Trump to other senior officials.

 

Asked about threats against him during his visit to Ankara, Trump said he had faced such dangers for years.