Sources Mention Country that Shared Intelligence with US on 'Iranian Plot' to Assassinate Trump
- Israel shared fresh intelligence with the United States this week, warning of a specific Iranian plot to assassinate President Donald Trump, two sources familiar with the matter said
- American officials cautioned that the Israeli report had not been independently vetted by US intelligence agencies and could be aimed at influencing Trump's decision-making on Iran
- Trump confirmed publicly that Iran had placed him at the top of its assassination target list, as a 60-day ceasefire between the two countries continued to unravel
Israel has passed intelligence to the United States warning that Iran recently devised a fresh plan to assassinate President Donald Trump, according to two sources with knowledge of the matter, as an already strained ceasefire between Washington and Tehran edges closer to collapse.
One source said the warning arrived this week, describing it as a specific plot, distinct from the broader stream of assassination-related intelligence that American agencies had already been monitoring in recent weeks.
Source: Getty Images
Two sources familiar with the matter confirmed that US intelligence had not independently verified the Israeli report and were not tracking the alleged plot before the warning was received.
Some American officials raised questions about Israel's motives in sharing the intelligence, suggesting it may form part of a broader effort by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to shape Trump's calculations as he considers whether to escalate military pressure on Iran. One source noted that scepticism of Israeli intelligence reporting is not uncommon within parts of the US intelligence community.
Trump confirms being Iran's top target
Asked to respond to the Israeli warning, which was first reported by the Wall Street Journal, the White House directed journalists to remarks Trump made publicly. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday,
Trump said:
"They want to take out the US leader, me. 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."
Trump later said he had recently learnt of a new list ranking him as Iran's foremost assassination target, though it was not confirmed whether he was referring to the Israeli intelligence specifically.
The US government has long assessed that Iran may seek to kill Trump in retaliation for the January 2020 drone strike he authorised that killed senior Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani, Jerusalem Post reported.
Over the weekend, large crowds in Iran publicly called for Trump's death during funeral proceedings for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed at the outset of the conflict.
Diplomacy continues amid strike preparations
Despite the deteriorating climate, a US official said on Thursday, July 9, that diplomatic channels between Washington and Tehran remained active, even as both sides exchanged military strikes and Trump declared that a Memorandum of Understanding with Iran was "over."
Officials said the two governments were still working towards a nuclear agreement by mid-August, CNN reported.
Multiple officials confirmed that preparations for possible US military strikes were underway on Thursday evening but were held back in favour of continued diplomatic engagement.
Aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, fighter jets were loaded with armaments and pilots conducted drills in readiness for potential strike orders.
The carrier's commanding officer, Dan Keeler, briefed thousands of crew members that the situation was intensifying, though routine defensive flight operations continued throughout the day and night.
Netanyahu, who has been openly critical of Trump's diplomatic approach to Iran and has clashed with the US president over Israeli military operations in Lebanon, spoke with Trump by phone on Thursday and is expected to travel to Washington for in-person talks.
US launches new strikes on Iran
The United States (US) launched new airstrikes against Iran early Thursday, July 9, 2026, and Tehran responded by targeting Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar in crossfire that again threatened an interim deal intended to help end the war in the Persian Gulf.
The strikes came hours after US President Donald Trump said recent Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz signalled the end of the fragile ceasefire.
Source: Legit.ng
