Trump rejected plan to kill Iran’s supreme leader, but next move unclear
FILE-President Donald Trump steps off of Air Force One after arriving back at Joint Base Andrews on June 17, 2025 on Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump arrived at the White House on Tuesday to start talks with his national security team about the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict.
Trump left the Group of Seven summit in Canada late Monday after implying that an Iran nuclear deal remained "achievable" while later urging Tehran’s more than 9 million residents to evacuate the region.
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"Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, it's very simple," the president told reporters on Air Force One during his overnight flight back to Washington, D.C.
Trump urges Iran to negotiate on its nuclear program
Why you should care:
During an exchange with reporters at the G7 summit, President Donald Trump declined to say what it would take for the U.S. to get more directly involved in the Israel-Iran conflict. But he pivoted to push Iran on negotiations over its nuclear program.
Trump has attempted to restrain Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump rejected a plan presented by Israel to the U.S. to kill Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a U.S. official familiar with the matter, who spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity.
The AP reported that the Israelis informed the Trump administration in recent days that they had developed a plan to kill Khamenei.
Trump might be leaning toward more direct involvement in Israel-Iran conflict
Big picture view:
President Donald Trump could be pushing for a more direct U.S. role in the Israel-Iran conflict. The Associated Press reported Trump’s change in stance comes as the U.S. has moved warships and military aircraft in the region to respond if the conflict between Israel and Iran further intensifies.
According to the AP, Trump accused Iranian leaders of being unwilling to reach an agreement over their nuclear program, hinting that he was now less interested in conversations with them. "They should have done the deal. I told them, do the deal," Trump said. "So, I don’t know. I’m not too much in the mood to negotiate."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Associated Press that the Israeli strikes will continue until Iran's nuclear program and ballistic missiles are destroyed. According to the AP, Israel has targeted Iranian nuclear program sites but hasn’t demolished Iran’s Fordo uranium enrichment facility.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by the Associated Press, which cites comments from President Donald Trump about the conflict between Israel and Iran, and a U.S. official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.