President Trump has voiced his disapproval regarding Israel’s plan to target Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Reports indicate that U.S. officials familiar with the situation relayed this information over the weekend.
The Associated Press reported that plans were in place to eliminate Khamenei, prompting the White House to inform Trump of his opposition to such military action.
“That’s possible,” Trump remarked on Sunday, acknowledging that the U.S. might find itself drawn into a growing conflict between Iran and Israel.
“We’re not involved in that. We could be involved. But we’re not involved at this point,” he stated during an interview with ABC News.
While the exact location of Khamenei remains highly guarded, Iran is known to have robust underground bunkers designed to shield its leadership and nuclear infrastructure. Israel has demonstrated precision in military strikes, reportedly eliminating around 20 high-ranking Iranian commanders and at least nine nuclear scientists since initiating its attacks last week.
This military campaign by Israel also targeted significant nuclear sites in Iran, marking one of the largest military operations involving Middle Eastern nations, thus complicating Trump’s earlier attempts to establish a nuclear deal with Iran.
The U.S. quickly distanced itself from the assaults that resulted in the deaths of several Iranian military leaders and nuclear scientists. Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized on Thursday evening, “Tonight, Israel has taken a one-sided action against Iran. We are not involved in a strike against Iran. Our top priority is to protect U.S. troops in the region.”
Although Trump has generally supported Israeli actions, he also indicated that Israel should pursue negotiations regarding nuclear matters with the U.S. and refrain from escalating tensions with Iran.
“I don’t want them to come in because I think it blows it away. It might help, but it might blow it up. We had a very good argument with Iran,” he told reporters during a bill signing. “I prefer a more friendly path.”
In response to these developments, Iran withdrew from scheduled discussions with U.S. officials on Saturday. Trump had previously warned Iranian leaders on Friday morning, cautioning them against the severe consequences of failing to reach a deal to limit their nuclear capabilities.
“We’ve already seen significant loss and destruction, but there’s still time for this massacre to occur. The next planned attack is more brutal and approaching,” Trump stated through media channels.
“Iran needs to reach an agreement before it’s too late, to save what was once regarded as the Iranian Empire.”
The Hill reached out to the White House for further comments.
