U.S. rejects Iran Khamenei assassination plan

Reuters reported on the 15th (local time) that President Donald Trump declined Israel’s plan to eliminate Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. This report came shortly after Israel launched a preemptive strike on Iran on the 13th, highlighting the clandestine military cooperation between the U.S. and Israel.

Citing two senior U.S. officials who requested anonymity, Reuters stated that Israel informed the U.S. of the opportunity to remove Khamenei, but President Trump refused.

However, it has not been confirmed whether President Trump conveyed this message directly. A senior U.S. official said, "Did Iran kill any Americans? Until they do so, targeting a political leader isn’t on the table for discussion."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was asked about the matter during a Fox News interview, to which he responded, "There are so many false reports about conversations that never actually happened," and added, "I will not comment on this." He also asserted, "The Iranian regime is very weak, and it’s possible that Israel’s military attacks could lead to regime change." He emphasized the legitimacy of the Israeli strikes by saying, "We have prepared everything necessary to eliminate the two existential threats of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles."

Regarding Iran’s suggestion that “if Israel stops its attack, we can also halt retaliation,” he said, "Iran always lies and deceives," effectively signaling a rejection.

Kim Dong-hyun, Reporter 3code@hankyung.com