Washington: U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly blocked an Israeli proposal to assassinate Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during ongoing hostilities between the two nations, according to CBS News.
Trump is said to have personally told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that such a move was “not a good idea,” urging instead for a negotiated settlement. The conversation reportedly took place after Israel launched a surprise assault on Iranian nuclear and military targets on Friday — attacks that triggered a wave of Iranian retaliation and pushed the conflict into its third day.
Trump has not publicly commented on the reported conversation, but on his social media platform Truth Social, he stated: “Iran and Israel should make a deal,” adding, “just like I got India and Pakistan.”
During remarks ahead of the G7 summit in Canada, Trump reaffirmed U.S. support for Israel but declined to say whether he had asked Netanyahu to stop the strikes. He warned, however, that any Iranian aggression toward the United States would be met with “strength and might… at levels never seen before.”
An Israeli official, when asked about the report, said Israel’s focus remains on nuclear and military targets. “In principle, we do not kill political leaders,” the official told CBS. “But anyone deciding on nuclear programs should not feel safe.”
As the conflict deepens, U.S.-brokered nuclear talks between Iran and Western powers—initially set for Sunday—were canceled, with Iran signaling no willingness to negotiate under fire. President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran has “no intention of obtaining nuclear weapons,” but vowed continued uranium enrichment for energy.
Trump’s behind-the-scenes intervention and his call for diplomacy contrast with his previous hardline approach to Iran. Whether this signals a broader shift in Republican foreign policy or a personal strategy remains to be seen.
