The United States is assessing new intelligence shared by Israel alleging that Iran recently developed a fresh plot to assassinate President Donald Trump, amid escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran and renewed uncertainty over diplomatic efforts.
According to sources familiar with the matter, Israeli officials passed the intelligence to the United States this week, warning of what they described as a specific assassination plan targeting the US president.
While American intelligence agencies have long believed Iran could seek revenge for the 2020 killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, officials said the latest Israeli warning referred to a new and more specific threat.
However, US officials cautioned that the intelligence has not yet been independently verified, and American agencies were not tracking the alleged plot before receiving the Israeli information.
Some officials also suggested the report may be part of a broader Israeli effort to influence President Trump’s deliberations over whether to intensify US military action against Iran as the fragile ceasefire between the two countries continues to unravel.
The warning comes as relations between Washington and Tehran have deteriorated sharply in recent days, with both sides exchanging military strikes despite ongoing diplomatic efforts aimed at reaching a new nuclear agreement by mid-August.
Responding to questions about the reported threat, the White House referred to comments made by President Trump, who said Iran has repeatedly targeted him.
“They want to take out the US leader — me,” Trump told reporters, adding that he believed he was on Iran’s list of assassination targets.
Trump also said he had recently learned of a new ranking that placed him at the top of Iran’s alleged target list, although it remains unclear whether he was referring to the intelligence provided by Israel.
US intelligence officials have maintained for years that Iran could attempt to retaliate against Trump and other current or former senior American officials over the drone strike that killed Soleimani in Baghdad in January 2020.
Despite the latest warning, intelligence sources said US agencies are monitoring several individuals who have discussed possible attacks but have not taken operational steps.
Officials stressed that the Israeli report forms part of broader intelligence assessments and should not be viewed as independently confirmed.
Meanwhile, diplomatic contacts between the United States and Iran are continuing behind the scenes, even as military preparations remain in place should negotiations fail.
Officials disclosed that American forces had made contingency preparations for possible strikes, including operations involving aircraft aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, where fighter jets were armed and pilots conducted readiness drills.
Those military options were ultimately held back as Washington continued to pursue diplomacy aimed at preventing a wider regional conflict.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has consistently expressed skepticism about diplomatic engagement with Iran, is expected to visit Washington in the coming days for talks with President Trump as both countries coordinate their approach to the growing crisis.
