Sources: US Could Not Verify Israeli Warnings of Iran Plots Against Trump

U.S. intelligence agencies were unable to independently verify multiple warnings from Israel over the past year concerning alleged Iranian plots to assassinate former President Donald Trump. These warnings, conveyed to U.S. intelligence and sometimes directly to senior White House officials by Israeli counterparts, detailed potential threats including sniper attacks or knife assaults at public events.

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The U.S. intelligence community has long assessed that Iran wants to retaliate for Trump’s killing of Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani in 2020.

The intelligence tips began surfacing in the lead-up to the June 2025 war and intensified before the U.S. decision to engage in military action against Iran in February. The most specific warning reportedly arrived before the NATO summit in Ankara in July, suggesting Iran might attempt to use a shoulder-launched missile against Trump's Air Force One. However, the Central Intelligence Agency has not corroborated these specific threats shared by Israeli intelligence since early last year.

Adding to the uncertainty, Turkish intelligence agencies also found no evidence to support the Israeli claims regarding threats to Trump's life during the NATO summit, a finding they shared with the Americans. Despite the lack of independent verification, White House officials and the Secret Service implemented precautionary measures. These included an unusual security operation during Trump's trip to Türkiye, where he was transferred from Air Force One to a different aircraft for his departure.

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But 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.

This situation underscores the influence of Israeli intelligence on the Trump administration's decision-making regarding Iran, particularly amid heightened tensions and broader disagreements between U.S. and Israeli intelligence assessments of Iran's threat level. Earlier this year, U.S. agencies assessed that Iran was not actively pursuing nuclear weapons, a view that contrasted with Israel's assertion of an urgent threat from Tehran. Nevertheless, Trump proceeded with strikes in Iran in February, reportedly taking into account intelligence shared by Israel about alleged assassination attempts against him.

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The country's intelligence agencies also did not have any evidence to corroborate the Israeli claim about the threat to Trump's life.