Israel reportedly shared intelligence with the United States, saying a certain nation had recently put together a new plan to assassinate President Donald Trump, according to two sources familiar with the matter who spoke to CNN.
One of the sources said the warning was shared this week. Another source said U.S. officials had picked up a steady stream of intelligence over recent weeks about possible plots against Trump, but said the warning from Israel was new and pointed to a specific plan.
Some American officials cited by the outlet suggested the Israeli report could be an attempt to influence Trump’s decision-making as he considers whether to increase U.S. military action against Iran.
White House response points to Trump’s own remarks on threats
The details of the alleged plot were not immediately clear, according to two sources familiar with the matter. Those sources said the U.S. had not verified the information on its own and had not been tracking the plot before Israel’s warning. The U.S. government has previously said Iran may try to kill Trump in retaliation for the 2020 drone strike he ordered, which killed top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani.
When asked to comment on Israel’s warning, which was first reported by the Wall Street Journal, the White House pointed to Trump’s recent remarks about Iran’s stated desire to kill him.
“They want to take out the US leader – me,” Trump told reporters on Wednesday. “I’m on whatever list. I saw this morning I’m on every single one of their lists. And so far, I guess I’ve been a bit lucky, but maybe that doesn’t last very long. These are evil, sick people. And we have to root out that cancer. That cancer. You know what you do? You’ve got to cut out cancer early. And that’s the way I feel.” Trump also said he had recently learned of a new list that reportedly ranked him as Iran’s top assassination target.
Over the weekend, crowds of Iranians reportedly called for Trump’s death during funeral proceedings for the country’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed at the start of the war, according to CNN.
Tensions between the U.S. and Iran have increased in recent days, with both sides trading threats and strikes as a 60-day ceasefire meant to end hostilities appears to be falling apart. A similar dispute saw Trump extend an Iran ceasefire at the last second after military boasting.
Two sources familiar with recent U.S. intelligence said intelligence agencies are tracking several people who have reportedly discussed carrying out attacks but have not taken action so far. One of the sources said U.S. intelligence agencies have been concerned that Iran could target a number of current and former senior officials.
That same source said the Israeli report is viewed, in part, as one piece of a larger effort by Israel to influence Trump’s decisions regarding Iran. The source added that some people within the U.S. intelligence community remain skeptical of Israeli reporting in general.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly expressed strong doubts about Trump’s diplomatic efforts with Iran. He has also clashed with Trump over Israeli military action in Lebanon, which reportedly complicated ongoing talks. The two leaders spoke by phone on Thursday, and Netanyahu is expected to visit Washington soon to meet with Trump. In another case, Trump asserted he calls the shots on any ceasefire that Netanyahu must accept.
On Thursday, another U.S. official, cited by CNN, said diplomatic efforts with Iran are continuing behind the scenes, despite the resumption of strikes between the two countries and Trump’s announcement a day earlier that the Memorandum of Understanding with Iran was “over.” Washington and Tehran are also reportedly working toward reaching a nuclear deal by mid-August.
Multiple officials said preparations had been made for potential strikes on Thursday night, but the U.S. reportedly chose to hold off in favor of continuing diplomacy. Earlier that day, aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, crews reportedly loaded fighter jets with weapons, and pilots conducted drills in case they were called to carry out strikes.
The aircraft carrier’s commanding officer, Dan Keeler, told the thousands of crew members on board that tensions were rising. As preparations continued, fighter pilots kept up routine defensive operations, with flights taking off throughout the day and night, according to CNN.
Published: Jul 10, 2026 06:19 am