Trump vetoed Israeli plan to kill Iran's supreme leader, according to US official
Washington: US President Donald Trump vetoed a plan presented by Israel to the US to kill Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to a US official familiar with the matter.
The Israelis informed the Trump administration in recent days that it had developed a credible plan to kill Khamanei. After being briefed on the plan, the White House made clear to Israeli officials that Trump was opposed to the Israelis making the move, according to the official who was not authorised to comment on the sensitive matter and spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The Trump administration is desperate to keep Israel's military operation aimed at decapitating Iran's nuclear program from exploding into an even more expansive conflict and saw the plan to kill Khamenei as a move that would enflame the conflict and potentially destabilise the region.
Asked on Sunday about the plan during an interview on Fox News Channel's Special Report with Bret Baier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not directly address whether the White House rejected the plan.
'But I can tell you, I think that we do what we need to do, we'll do what we need to do. And I think the United States knows what is good for the United States,' Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu's office declined to comment on the reports. Trump's rejection of the proposal was first reported by Reuters.
Trump on Sunday issued a stark warning to Iran against retaliating on US targets in the Middle East while also predicting Israel and Iran would 'soon' make a deal to end their escalating conflict.
Trump in an early morning social media posting said the United States 'had nothing to do with the attack on Iran' as Israel and Iran traded missile attacks for the third straight day. Iran, however, has said that it would hold the US – which has provided Israel with much of its deep arsenal of weaponry – responsible for its backing of Israel.
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