Former President Donald Trump has vetoed an Israeli plan to assassinate Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as tensions escalate over Tehran’s nuclear program. This decision comes amid Trump’s ongoing efforts to facilitate a resumption of negotiations between the United States and Iran regarding the contentious nuclear issue.
The original Israeli plan would have targeted Khamenei for removal. Yet for the time, Trump rejected this idea and opted to try to use a diplomatic response first rather than a military one. Recent discussions between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have underscored the delicate balance between military strategies and diplomatic negotiations in the region.
In an interview with Reuters on Friday, Trump stated, “we knew everything” about the Israeli strikes, indicating his awareness of Israel’s military actions against Iran. These strikes were part of an effort to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and have led to an alarming increase in tensions. For its part, the U.S. administration, according to two U.S. officials speaking on background, has been reluctant to pursue further punitive measures against Iranian political leadership. They plan to reengage on that conversation when negotiations kick back up.
Netanyahu has been sure to convey to the new U.S. administration that it alone knows what it needs to do for its own interests. He remarked, “I think the United States knows what is good for the United States.” This further highlights the duplicitous nature of the U.S. and Israeli policies towards Iran. This link has taken on new importance as a result of recent military operations.
Trump and Netanyahu have maintained constant communication since Israel launched its recent offensive against Iran, reflecting a shared concern over Tehran’s nuclear capabilities. The positive momentum for dialogue took a pretty hard hit. The planned peace negotiations for Sunday in Oman were called off because of the bombings.
A U.S. administration official added context to Trump’s stance: “Have the Iranians killed an American yet? No. Until they do, we’re not even talking about going after the political leadership.” As the current U.S. strategy goes, adopt a more restrained stance as competition and tensions increase. It reflects a welcome and long-overdue cautiousness about military engagement.
Diplomatic efforts have reached an impasse. Trump’s refusal of the assassination plan would seem to indicate willingness to negotiate rather than escalate. U.S. officials remain in close touch with their Israeli counterparts. This developing discussion foreshadows a potentially unique mix of military and diplomatic approaches that will shape U.S.-Iran interactions in the coming weeks.