JUST IN: Trump Takes Major Decision over Plot by Israeli Forces to Kill Iran's Supreme Leader
- President Trump vetoed an Israeli plan to kill Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, despite Israel's reported opportunity, citing a lack of direct provocation by Iran
- Continuous communication between the US and Israel followed Israel’s strikes on Iran, but Trump opted for a different approach, focusing on diplomacy and avoiding further escalation
- Despite Israel's actions, Trump aims to resume negotiations with Iran on its nuclear program, showing caution in balancing US-Iran relations amid rising Middle Eastern tensions
In a recent development, President Donald Trump vetoed an Israeli plan to kill Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, despite Israel’s reported opportunity to carry out the attack.
U.S. officials confirmed the decision, highlighting the ongoing tensions surrounding Iran’s nuclear program and the broader Middle Eastern conflict.
Source: Getty Images
Trump vetoes Israeli plan to target Khamenei
According to two U.S. officials speaking to Reuters on Sunday, President Trump blocked an Israeli initiative to kill Iran’s Supreme Leader. One senior U.S. administration official explained the reasoning behind Trump’s decision, stating,
"Have the Iranians killed an American yet? No. Until they do, we're not even talking about going after the political leadership."
This move comes as Israel continues to carry out military actions against Iran in efforts to halt Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
Continuous communications between US, Israel
The senior U.S. officials disclosed that there had been continuous communications between top U.S. officials and their Israeli counterparts following Israel’s extensive strikes on Iran.
The officials stated that while the Israelis had reported an opportunity to strike Khamenei, Trump ultimately decided against such a move, preferring a different approach.
Though it remains unclear if Trump personally delivered the message to Israeli officials, he has maintained frequent discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Netanyahu responds to reports of conversations with Trump
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied the specific claims, stating that many reports regarding conversations between him and Trump were false, Reuters reported.
"There’s so many false reports of conversations that never happened, and I’m not going to get into that," Netanyahu said.
However, Netanyahu did affirm that Israel would take the necessary actions regarding Iran, adding,
"We’ll do what we need to do. And I think the United States knows what is good for the United States."
Trump aims for resumption of US-Iran negotiations
Source: Getty Images
Despite the recent military actions by Israel, Trump has remained hopeful about the potential resumption of negotiations between the U.S. and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear program, CNN reported.
The scheduled talks in Oman, however, were cancelled following the escalation of strikes.
On Friday, June 13, Trump assured, saying, "We knew everything" about Israel's strikes, indicating that the U.S. was closely monitoring the situation.
This suggests that while Trump vetoed the plan to target Khamenei, the broader diplomatic strategy concerning Iran's nuclear programme remains a priority.
Tensions rise as Middle East conflict continues
The refusal to strike Khamenei highlights the delicate balance the U.S. is attempting to maintain in its relationship with both Israel and Iran.
As the situation continues to develop, Trump’s veto and the cancelation of talks in Oman suggest a careful approach to avoid further escalation.
With the stakes high, particularly over Iran's nuclear programme, the U.S. and Israel’s strategies are now under even closer scrutiny.
Israel vs Iran: Airlines halt flights
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that global airlines cancelled flights to Tel Aviv, Tehran and other Middle East destinations, or rerouted planes, as airspaces shut following Israeli strikes on Iran.
Israel, Iran, Iraq, Jordan and Syria closed their airspaces after Israel hit military and nuclear facilities in Iran. Israel said Tehran launched drones in retaliation.
Air India's New Delhi-Vienna and Mumbai-London flights were about to enter Iranian airspace when Israel launched its attack, forcing the planes to turn back to their origin, according to aircraft tracker Flight Aware.
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Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
