Full story
Intel Spurs Escalation
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s reported intelligence about an alleged Iranian plot to assassinate U.S. President Donald Trump has fed into a U.S. military response as U.S.-Iran tensions escalate.
“Trump, speaking to reporters on his return from the NATO summit on July 8 (local time), stated, “They [Iran] want to eliminate me, the leader of the United States,””
Trump, speaking to reporters on his return from the NATO summit on July 8 (local time), said, “They [Iran] want to eliminate me, the leader of the United States,” and added, “I am at the top of their assassination list.”
The Wall Street Journal reported on July 9 that Israel shared intelligence with the U.S. claiming Iran was plotting Trump’s assassination, while the details of the plot and its transmission remained unclear.
At an Israeli Air Force graduation ceremony, Netanyahu declared, “The war is not over,” and Defense Minister Israel Katz said, “We are prepared to conduct a third strike on Iran if necessary.”
Competing Accounts and Quotes
CNN reported that Israeli intelligence shared with the Trump administration reflected a desire among elements of Tehran’s hardline leadership to target Trump “rather than a specific, detailed plan,” citing an Israeli source and a U.S. official.
CNN also said the new commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Ahmad Vahidi, was part of the group advocating for such a plan, and that U.S. intelligence assessments showed “no indication of a new, specific Iranian plot to kill Trump.”
In contrast, a Wall Street Journal report cited by Fox News Digital said Israel shared intelligence warning that Iran had developed a fresh plan to assassinate Trump, and the White House referred Fox News Digital to Trump’s remarks.
Trump told reporters, “Israel came up with nothing,” describing himself as Iran’s “number one” target “for a long time,” while CNN said the aircraft swap on his way back from a NATO summit was made in part because of security concerns.
War, Gulf Stakes, and Threats
As the intelligence dispute unfolded, the sources describe a broader escalation in which the U.S. and Iran exchanged attacks resembling full-scale war over the past three days, with Iran’s Bushehr nuclear plant and Konarak naval base hit by U.S.-Israeli projectiles.
“Iran retaliated with ballistic missiles targeting Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Jordan.”
The same reporting said Iran retaliated with ballistic missiles targeting Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Jordan, while the six-day funeral of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei concluded on July 11 with his burial at the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad.
In the Gulf, U.S. maritime claims and counterclaims also surfaced, with the U.S. president saying, “We downed seven small boats; or as they call them, the fast boats. This is all that remains for them.”
The sources also describe ongoing threats and preparations, including CNN’s account that the U.S. considered directly targeting leaders on a list of “obstructionists” if full-scale war resumes, and that “This is fake news,” a U.S. official said when asked about Israeli officials’ interpretation of Trump’s view.