Netanyahu: Iran Made Two Attempts to Assassinate Trump

In an interview broadcast on Sunday, June 15, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu alleged that Iran had attempted on two separate occasions to assassinate former U.S. President Donald Trump. Speaking to Fox News anchor Bret Baier, Netanyahu described Iran as a central global threat and reiterated that his country’s actions were aimed at safeguarding both its own security and broader international stability.

The prime minister’s remarks came amid ongoing tensions between Israel and Iran, as concerns grow over Tehran’s nuclear program and its support for militant proxies in the region.

Allegations of Assassination Attempts and Broader Warnings

During the interview, Netanyahu accused Iran of sponsoring plots against former President Trump through indirect means, suggesting the involvement of Iranian intelligence and affiliated proxy groups. While he did not provide detailed evidence during the segment, Netanyahu maintained that Tehran viewed Trump as its primary adversary due to his hardline stance and decisions during his time in office, including the withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear agreement and the imposition of severe sanctions.

Netanyahu referred to Trump as a decisive figure and implied that both he and the former U.S. leader had been targeted for their opposition to Iran’s regional influence. He described himself as a secondary target in comparison, noting that Iranian-backed efforts had also allegedly been directed at him.

He cited prior incidents as part of a broader pattern of Iranian hostility toward the United States, including the 1983 bombing of the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut and attacks on American forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. He also referred to an alleged failed bombing plot aimed at a restaurant in Washington, D.C., to underscore his concerns over Tehran’s capabilities and intentions.

Emphasis on the Nuclear Program and Intelligence Sharing

Netanyahu stated that Israeli intelligence had uncovered significant information pointing to Iran’s advancement toward a nuclear weapons capability. He asserted that Israel had shared this intelligence with U.S. officials and claimed the findings clearly showed Iran was engaged in covert efforts to weaponize uranium.

According to the prime minister, these efforts placed Iran within months of developing a nuclear test device, with the potential for operational deployment shortly thereafter. He stressed the urgency of the situation, emphasizing that time was limited before Iran reached a critical threshold in its nuclear development.

Netanyahu framed the intelligence as decisive, describing it as evidence of a systematic and concealed plan to build a nuclear arsenal. He used the opportunity to reinforce Israel’s position that any delay or diplomatic inaction could result in Iran crossing a point of no return in its pursuit of nuclear weapons.

The Israeli leader’s warnings come amid heightened international scrutiny of Iran’s nuclear activities, particularly following the country’s scaled-back cooperation with international monitoring bodies and the collapse of nuclear deal negotiations in recent years. With regional security fragile and ongoing military tensions in the Middle East, Netanyahu’s comments are likely to fuel further debate over how the international community should respond to Iran’s strategic ambitions.