WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump recently blocked an Israeli proposal to assassinate Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to two American officials who spoke to Reuters on Sunday.
“Have the Iranians killed an American yet? No. Until they do we’re not even talking about going after the political leadership,” said one of the sources, identified as a senior U.S. administration official.
The officials, who requested anonymity, said Washington and Tel Aviv have maintained close and ongoing communication since Israel launched a large-scale military operation against Iran aimed at halting Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
During these exchanges, Israeli officials reportedly informed the U.S. they had a window of opportunity to eliminate Khamenei. However, Trump intervened and instructed them not to proceed. While it remains unclear whether Trump directly relayed the message, sources say he has been in frequent contact with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
When questioned about the Reuters report, Netanyahu said on Fox News: “There’s so many false reports of conversations that never happened, and I’m not going to get into that.”
“But I can tell you, I think that we do what we need to do, we’ll do what we need to do. And I think the United States knows what is good for the United States,” he added during an interview with Special Report With Bret Baier.
Though Trump has been sharply critical of Iran, he has also left the door open for diplomacy. Talks scheduled to be held in Oman on Sunday were reportedly canceled following the escalating airstrikes between the two countries.
Speaking to Reuters on Friday, Trump commented, “we knew everything” about the Israeli strikes. On Sunday, he posted on Truth Social that “Iran and Israel should make a deal, and will make a deal,” adding, “we will have PEACE, soon.”
No further details were provided about any behind-the-scenes negotiations or meetings.
Meanwhile, the regional conflict continues to claim lives. In Israel, rescue teams sifted through rubble left by Iranian missile strikes that killed at least 10 civilians, including children. Sirens sounded across major cities like Tel Aviv, as fresh explosions echoed on Sunday afternoon.
In Iran, the capital Tehran was shaken by large Israeli strikes on its energy infrastructure. Iranian authorities reported over 130 deaths across multiple days of strikes, including 60 fatalities—half of them children—from a single missile that demolished a residential tower.
As the situation intensifies, financial markets are on edge. Oil prices jumped 9% on Friday and may surge further when markets reopen, potentially affecting global economic stability.
While Israel insists that regime change is not the official objective, Netanyahu hinted at broader ambitions, saying his country will do “whatever is necessary” to counter what he described as an “existential threat” from Iran.