Trump reportedly rejected Israeli plan to assassinate Iran's Supreme Leader
The proposal was raised in recent days following Israel's attack on Iran, with Trump allegedly conveying his stance directly to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
United States President Donald Trump reportedly rejected an Israeli plan to assassinate Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, deeming it "not a good idea".
The proposal was raised in recent days following Israel's attack on Iran, with Trump allegedly conveying his stance directly to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
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Two US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, have since confirmed the development to Reuters, noting that Washington has been in regular communication with Israel since they launched attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities on Friday.
They added that the Israelis claimed they had a chance to eliminate Ali, but Trump instructed them not to go through with it.
When asked whether the reports were accurate during an interview with Fox News on Sunday, Netanyahu avoided confirming or denying them.
"There are so many false reports of conversations that never happened, and I'm not going to get into that," he said.
"But I can tell you, we'll do what we need to do. And I think the United States knows what is good for the United States."
The current conflict between Iran and Israel erupted on Friday, when Israel launched airstrikes targeting Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile facilities. Israel accused Tehran of nearing the development of a nuclear weapon, a claim Iran denies, maintaining that its nuclear programme is solely for peaceful purposes.
In response to the Israeli attacks, Iran fired missiles into major Israeli cities, including Tel Aviv and Haifa, in the early hours of Monday.
The exchange has resulted in heavy civilian casualties on both sides. Iran has reported at least 224 deaths, with 90 per cent of the victims being civilians. In Israel, 24 civilians have been killed and over 100 others injured as a result of Iranian missile strikes.
The violence has raised alarm internationally, particularly given both countries' links to nuclear technology.
Iran's parliament is now considering withdrawing from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), following accusations by the UN's nuclear watchdog that Tehran is violating its obligations. Meanwhile, Israel, widely believed to possess nuclear weapons, has never signed the NPT.
Israel has indicated that its military campaign will intensify in the coming days, with Netanyahu declaring that efforts to dismantle Iran's nuclear and missile threats are underway.
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