Trump nixed Israeli plan to kill Iran's supreme leader, U.S. official says

WASHINGTON − President Donald Trumprejected an Israeli plan to kill Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a senior U.S. official told USA TODAY, as Trump pushes for a peace deal between the two nations.

The U.S. official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive talks, confirmed June 15 that Israel was presented with an opportunity to kill Khamenei but Trump objected to the plan and steered it off.

Iranian missiles struck Israel's Tel Aviv and the port city of Haifa before dawn June 16, killing at least eight people and destroying homes, prompting Israel's defense minister to warn that Tehran residents would "pay the price and soon."

Iran said its parliament was preparing a bill to leave the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), adding Tehran remains opposed to developing weapons of mass destruction. Passing the bill could take several weeks. Israel is not a treaty signatory.

Reuters first reported on Trump vetoing the plan to take out the top Iranian leader.

A senior administration official told Reuters: "Have the Iranians killed an American yet? No. Until they do, we're not even talking about going after the political leadership."

It was not immediately clear whether Trump or another administration official delivered the president's position to Israel regarding Iran's top leader.

U.S. officials have been in regular communication with their Israeli counterparts since Israel carried out its June 13 airstrikes targeting Iranian sites that are critical to the country's nuclear program. Iran and Israel have since traded attacks.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahuresponded to the Reuters report in an interview Sunday on Fox News' "Special Report With Bret Baier."

"There's so many false reports of conversations that never happened. I'm not going to get into that," Netanyahu said. "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's good for the United States."

Netanyahu also did not deny that an Iranian regime change is part of Israel's military objectives.

"It could certainly be the result because the Iran regime is very weak," Netanyahu said. "I think it's basically left with two things. Its plans to have atomic bombs and ballistic missiles. That's basically what Iran has. They certainly don't have the people. Eighty percent of the people would throw these theological thugs out."

In a post June 15 on Truth Social, Trump warned Iran not to strike any U.S. targets as its conflictwith Israel escalates, saying the "full strength and might" of America's military could be used against Iran.

"Sometimes they have to fight it out, but we're going to see what happens, " Trump told reporters outside the White House late June 15 before he departed for Alberta, Canada, for a Group of Seven nations summit. "I think there's a good chance there will be a deal."