Amid the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict, two US officials reportedly informed that US President Donald Trump vetoed an Israeli plan to assassinate Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as per Reuters. The Israel-Iran conflict was reignited on June 13 when Israel launched an offensive against Iran, with explosions heard in parts of Tehran.
One senior administration official was quoted as saying, "Have the Iranians killed an American yet? No. Until they do, we’re not even talking about going after the political leadership."
However, declining the claim, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly said, "There are so many false reports of conversations that never happened, and I'm not going to get into that", while adding, "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 is good for the United States."
Citing top US officials, Reuters reported that Washington has been in constant touch with Israeli counterparts amid the large-scale assault on Iran aimed at halting its nuclear program.
Responding to the Israeli assault, Iran's supreme leader on Saturday threatened both Israel and the US with 'a crushing response' over attacks on Iran and its allies.
“The enemies, whether the Zionist regime or the United States of America, will definitely receive a crushing response to what they are doing to Iran and the Iranian nation and to the resistance front," Khamenei said in a video released by Iranian state media.
Responding to Khamenei's threat, Trump issued a stern warning to Tehran, vowing that "the full strength and might of the US armed forces" would be unleashed if Iran targets American interests.
“If we are attacked in any way, shape, or form by Iran, the full strength and might of the US armed forces will come down on you at levels never seen before,” Trump warned.
Trump's stern warning to Iran came as Tehran reportedly threatened to target US, UK and French military bases and ships in the region if they attempted to block Iranian strikes on Israel, Reuters reported.
However, striking a dual tone amid the conflict, Trump also expressed hope for diplomacy, saying, “We can easily get a deal done between Iran and Israel and end this bloody conflict.”
Amid the rising tensions, Trump again urged both Iran and Israel to “make a deal”, saying that diplomacy as a way forward. He also claimed that his past efforts had brought peace between several nations, though he lamented that he “never got credit” for those successes.
Meanwhile, Israel launched a third consecutive day of airstrikes on targets inside Iran, some of which struck central urban areas.
Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) on Monday claimed to intercept over 100 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) launched by Iran. The IDF released a statement on X stating that, “Iran sent more than 100 UAVs at Israel. We intercepted them.”
Iran has rejected the peace talks mediated by Qatar and Oman, asserting that it is not open to negotiating a ceasefire while it is under Israeli attack, an official told Reuters. "The Iranians informed Qatari and Omani mediators that they will only pursue serious negotiations once Iran has completed its response to the Israeli pre-emptive strikes," the official said.
On June 13, Israel launched an offensive against Iran with explosions reported in Tehran on Friday. The explosions were heard northeast of Iran’s capital, state-run Nour News reported. Israel has declared a state of emergency in anticipation of a missile and drone attack by Iran.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz stated, “Following the State of Israel’s preemptive strike against Iran, a missile and drone attack against the State of Israel and its civilian population is expected in the immediate future,” AFP reported.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that Israel launched Operation Rising Lion targeting Iran’s main enrichment facility, nuclear scientists and ballistic missile program, AP reported.
According to Washington-based Human Rights Activists, an NGO monitoring developments in Iran, at least 406 people have been killed and 654 wounded in the strikes so far. The Iranian government has not released official casualty figures.
