Iran

Report: Trump Vetoes Israeli Plan to Kill Iran's Supreme Leader

JUN 16 2025·Updated JUN 17 2025

Story

Above: Demonstrators take part in anti-Israel and anti-U.S. demonstrations in response to Israeli attacks on June 14, 2025, in Tehran, Iran. Image credit: Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu/Getty Images

The Facts

U.S. President Donald Trump rejected an Israeli proposal to assassinate Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to multiple U.S. officials who spoke anonymously to news outlets, including Reuters and Associated Press.
Independent
The Telegraph
Reuters
ap
Israeli forces had allegedly identified an opportunity to kill the 86-year-old Iranian leader during recent military operations, but Trump reportedly intervened to prevent the assassination attempt from proceeding.
Timesofisrael
France 24
A senior U.S. administration official explained Trump's reasoning, stating, "Have the Iranians killed an American yet? No. Until they do, we're not even talking about going after the political leadership."
New York Post
Guardian
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declined to address the assassination reports during a Fox News interview directly, saying, "There's so many false reports of conversations that never happened, and I'm not going to get into that."
Timesofisrael
France 24
BBC News
The conflict escalated as Israel and Iran exchanged missile strikes for three days, with Israel targeting Iran's nuclear facilities and military installations while Iran launched ballistic missiles at Israeli cities.
ap
GB News
Meanwhile, Trump posted on Truth Social that "Iran and Israel should make a deal, and will make a deal" while warning Iran that any attack on U.S. interests would bring "the full strength and might of the U.S. Armed Forces."
ap
The Telegraph

Sources Split

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The Spin

Pro-Trump narrative

By vetoing Israel's plan to kill Iran's supreme leader, Trump understood what Israel's military planners missed — martyring Khamenei would have unleashed catastrophic regional warfare, unified Iran's fractured factions, and sanctified his hardline son's succession. Trump's restraint preserved strategic ambiguity while avoiding the trap of myth that transforms individuals into symbols of resistance.

The Jerusalem Post

The Hill

Timesofisrael

Anti-Trump narrative

By vetoing Israel's chance to strike at the very architect of decades of terror, Trump displayed staggering short-sightedness. In shielding Khamenei, he handed survival to a regime bent on Israel's annihilation, sabotaged a rare moment of strategic clarity, and chose hesitation over history. His refusal wasn't restraint — it was failure masquerading as prudence.

MINT

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