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Recently, President Donald Trump rejected an Israeli initiative to eliminate Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to two US officials in an interview with Reuters on Sunday.
One high-ranking US administration official stated, “Have the Iranians killed an American? No. Until they do, we’re not even considering targeting political leaders.”
The officials, who requested anonymity, noted that US and Israeli leaders have maintained ongoing discussions since Israel’s large-scale assault on Iran aimed at curbing its nuclear ambitions.
Israeli officials conveyed that they had a chance to take out the Iranian leader, but Trump ultimately dismissed the operation.
It’s unclear whether Trump personally communicated this decision, although he has been in regular contact with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
When pressed about the Reuters report during an interview on Sunday with Fox News, Netanyahu remarked, “There are numerous inaccurate reports about conversations that never took place, and I’m not going to delve into that.”
He added, “What I can say is that we will act as necessary, and the United States understands what is best for its interests.”
Trump has expressed optimism about renewing negotiations with Iran regarding its nuclear program. Scheduled discussions in Oman for Sunday were called off due to the recent attacks.
In a statement to Reuters on Friday, Trump claimed, “We were fully aware of the Israeli strikes.”
This morning, amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran, the US president voiced hope for impending peace, even suggesting that Russian President Vladimir Putin could play a mediating role.
On social media, Trump wrote that numerous, unspecified meetings are occurring and urged both nations to reach an agreement.
Trump also shared in an interview with ABC News that he is open to Putin’s involvement, despite Putin’s current military actions in Ukraine and Trump’s previous failed attempts at securing a ceasefire with Kyiv.
Overnight, Israel and Iran conducted fresh strikes against each other, resulting in multiple casualties.
On his Truth Social platform, Trump insisted, “Iran and Israel should and will make a deal. We will achieve peace soon between the two nations! Numerous discussions are currently in progress.”
However, he did not provide any specifics regarding these meetings or evidence of progress. His comments were at odds with Netanyahu’s earlier statement that indicated an escalation of Israel’s actions against Iran.
A spokesperson from the White House did not respond when asked how Trump and his administration plan to de-escalate the situation in the Middle East.
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