- The U.S. has received several warnings from Israel over the past year that Iran intended to assassinate President Donald Trump, including before in Turkey, that U.S. intelligence officials could not independently verify, according to a current U.S. official and two former officials.
- The warnings included possible plots to shoot Trump with a sniper or recruit someone to attack him with a knife at a large public event, and were passed to U.S. intelligence agencies and in some cases relayed directly by Israeli officials to senior White House officials.
- The Central Intelligence Agency has not been able to corroborate some of the specific threats against Trump's life shared by Israeli intelligence since early last year, and in the NATO episode, a Turkish official said the country's intelligence agencies also did not have evidence to corroborate the Israeli claim.
- Despite the lack of verification, White House officials and the Secret Service took steps to mitigate the threats out of an abundance of caution, including an extraordinary deception operation during the Turkey trip that involved for his flight out of the country.
- Earlier this year, American intelligence agencies assessed that Iran was not actively plotting, even as Israel argued Tehran posed an urgent threat, and despite the reports from the U.S. intelligence community, Trump moved forward with strikes in Iran in February.
- Trump also took into consideration intelligence shared by Israel that Tehran had tried to assassinate him before launching the military campaign, Reuters previously reported.
- A spokesperson for the Israeli embassy disputed that Israel was using its intelligence to influence U.S. policy on Iran, while Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi declined to discuss specific intelligence matters but said the agency remains focused on Trump's security.
The U.S. has received multiple warnings from Israel regarding potential Iranian plots to assassinate former President Trump, including threats of sniper attacks and knife assaults at public events. However, U.S. intelligence agencies, including the CIA and Turkish officials, have been unable to corroborate these claims.1234678
The most detailed warning occurred in July, when Israeli officials briefed the White House about intelligence suggesting Iran might attempt to kill Trump using a shoulder-launched missile during a summit. Despite these alarming reports, American intelligence assessments indicated that Iran was not actively pursuing such actions, even as Israel maintained that Tehran posed an urgent threat.
In response to the warnings, the Secret Service implemented precautionary measures, including a deception operation during Trump's trip to Turkey. Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi emphasized the agency's commitment to analyzing information to ensure Trump's safety amid rising threats. Earlier this year, Trump considered intelligence from Israel regarding assassination attempts before proceeding with military strikes in Iran.5910
An Israeli embassy spokesperson refuted claims that Israel was attempting to influence U.S. policy through intelligence sharing, arguing that critics would accuse Israel of withholding information if it served their agenda.
The situation underscores the complexities of international intelligence sharing and the challenges of ensuring the safety of high-profile political figures.
“The CIA could not corroborate specific threats since early last year, and a Turkish official said its agencies also lacked evidence. Despite this, White House and Secret Service ran a deception operation for Trump's flight out of Turkey, and Trump later launched strikes in Iran in February.”
