US could not verify Israeli warnings of Iran plots against Trump, sources say

U.S. intelligence agencies have been unable to independently verify several Israeli warnings over the past year alleging 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, included specific threats such as using a sniper or a knife at public events.

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The US has received several warnings from Israel over the past year that Iran intended to assassinate President Donald Trump, including before a secret Air Force One ruse in Turkey, that US intelligence officials could not independently verify, according to a current US official and two former officials.

The intelligence tips reportedly began before the 12-day war in June 2025 and intensified leading up to the U.S. decision to launch strikes in Iran in February. The most detailed warning emerged before the NATO summit in Ankara in July, where Israeli officials alerted the White House to intelligence suggesting Iran might attempt to kill Trump using a shoulder-launched missile during his Air Force One flight. However, U.S. intelligence, including the CIA, has not corroborated these specific threats against Trump's life since early last year, despite acknowledging Iran's long-standing desire for retaliation following the 2020 killing of Qassem Soleimani.

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The warnings, passed to US intelligence agencies and in some cases relayed directly by Israeli officials to senior White House officials, included possible plots to shoot Trump with a sniper or recruit someone to attack him with a knife at a large public event, the sources said.

Adding to the lack of verification, Turkish intelligence agencies also found no evidence to support the Israeli claim regarding the threat to Trump during the Ankara summit, a finding they shared with the U.S. Despite the uncorroborated nature of the threats, White House officials and the Secret Service implemented precautionary measures. These included an elaborate deception during the Turkey trip, where Trump was moved 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, the officials said.

This situation underscores the significant influence of Israeli intelligence on the Trump administration's Iran policy, particularly amid heightened tensions with Tehran. It also highlights broader disagreements between U.S. and Israeli intelligence assessments concerning the overall threat posed by Iran. Earlier in the year, U.S. agencies assessed that Iran was not actively developing nuclear weapons, contrasting with Israel's view of an urgent threat. Nevertheless, Trump proceeded with military strikes in Iran in February, reportedly considering intelligence shared by Israel about alleged assassination attempts against him.

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In the case of the NATO episode, a Turkish official said the country's intelligence agencies also did not have any evidence to corroborate the Israeli claim about the threat to Trump's life, an assessment the host country shared with Americans.