President Donald Trump Opposes Israeli Plan to Assassinate Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei

Trump Opposes Israeli Plan to Assassinate Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei

Washington, June 16, 2025 — President Donald Trump told Reuters on Sunday that he opposed an Israeli plan to assassinate Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

He said, “Have the Iranians killed any Americans so far? No. So as long as they haven’t, we are not even considering targeting political leadership.”

Officials reported that following Israel’s launch of major military operations against Iran in recent days, senior U.S. and Israeli officials have been in continuous contact.

According to them, Israel informed the U.S. that it had a window of opportunity to assassinate Iran’s Supreme Leader, but President Trump instructed them to abandon the plan.

However, the officials did not confirm whether Trump personally conveyed the message, though regular, close communication has been ongoing between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

When asked about the matter on Fox News Channel’s "Special Report with Bret Baier" on Sunday, Netanyahu said:
“There are many false reports being circulated that have no basis. I don't want to comment on those.”

However, he added:
“What I can say is that we will do whatever is necessary. And I believe the United States knows what’s best for itself.”

President Trump remains hopeful that talks between the United States and Iran over its nuclear program can still resume. However, a round of negotiations scheduled to be held in Oman on Sunday was canceled due to the Israeli strikes.

In a Friday interview with Reuters, Trump stated,
“We were fully aware of the Israeli strikes.”