Photo: Chip Somodevilla/AP
US President Donald Trump has banned the Israeli side from assassinating Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, two senior US administration officials said on Sunday on condition of anonymity, Reuters reports.
“Were any Americans killed by the Iranians? No. Until they do, we’re not even talking about prosecuting the political leadership,” said one of the officials, explaining Trump’s decision.
According to them, the Israeli military reported that they had an opportunity to assassinate Khamenei after launching a large-scale attack on Iran in response to Tehran’s missile attacks. Senior US officials were in constant contact with their Israeli counterparts for several days, but Trump vetoed the plan, stressing that there was no direct threat to American citizens.
Officials did not specify whether Trump personally conveyed the ban on the plan, but noted that the president had spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on several occasions in recent days.
The journalists asked Netanyahu himself to comment on this data. In an interview with Fox News, he replied:
“There are so many false reports of conversations that never happened, and I’m not going to respond to that. But I can tell you that we are doing what we need to do and we will continue to do what we need to do. And I think the United States knows what’s good for the United States.”
Israel continues Operation Rising Lion against Iran after a missile attack by Tehran that killed dozens of civilians, including Ukrainian citizens. Recent developments have significantly complicated the balance of power in the region and triggered a new wave of diplomatic efforts to prevent a large-scale war.
