US says Trump vetoed Israeli strike on Khamenei
This comes as Israel and Iran pushed their conflict into its fourth day
What happened
Iranian missiles struck the Israeli cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa Monday morning after Israel bombarded Tehran, pushing the escalating fight between the longtime regional foes into a fourth day. Israeli strikes have killed at least 10 Iranian generals and several nuclear scientists. But President Donald Trump stopped Israel from assassinating Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, U.S. officials told The Associated Press and Reuters on Sunday. Iran said Israeli strikes have killed at least 224 people since Friday while Israel put its death toll at 24.
Who said what
Israel told the U.S. it had a credible shot at killing Khamenei, "but Trump waved them off of the plan," Reuters said. "Have the Iranians killed an American yet? No," a senior U.S. official told the news service. "Until they do, we're not even talking about going after the political leadership." The White House has been "desperate to keep Israel's military operation" from "exploding into an even more expansive conflict," the AP said.
Israeli officials called the Khamenei report "fake news" and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Fox News there were "a lot of false reports about conversations that didn't take place." But "we'll do what we need to do," he told anchor Bret Baier, and regime change "could certainly be the result" of the conflict because Iran's government "is very weak."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
What next?
"I hope there is going to be a deal" between Israel and Iran, Trump told reporters before departing yesterday evening for a G7 summit in Canada, "and we'll see what happens, but sometimes they have to fight it out." Iran told mediators in Qatar and Oman they "will not negotiate while under attack," an official told Reuters.
-
Venezuela ‘turning over’ oil to US, Trump saysSpeed Read This comes less than a week after Trump captured the country’s president
-
Trump’s Greenland threats overshadow Ukraine talksSpeed Read The Danish prime minister said Trump’s threats should be taken seriously
-
Delcy Rodríguez: Maduro’s second in command now running VenezuelaIn the Spotlight Rodríguez has held positions of power throughout the country
-
Iran’s government rocked by protestsSpeed Read The death toll from protests sparked by the collapse of Iran’s currency has reached at least 19
-
Why is Iran facing its biggest protests in years?TODAY’S BIG QUESTION Iranians are taking to the streets as a growing movement of civic unrest threatens a fragile stability
-
What will happen in 2026? Predictions and eventsIn Depth The new year could bring peace in Ukraine or war in Venezuela, as Donald Trump prepares to host a highly politicised World Cup and Nasa returns to the Moon
-
Why recognizing Somaliland is so risky for IsraelTHE EXPLAINER By wading into one of North Africa’s most fraught political schisms, the Netanyahu government risks further international isolation
-
Shots fired in the US-EU war over digital censorshipIN THE SPOTLIGHT The Trump administration risks opening a dangerous new front in the battle of real-world consequences for online action
