Trump reportedly vetoes assassination of Iran’s leader Khamenei: ‘Sometimes they have to fight it out’

As the war between Israel and Iran continues with undiminished intensity, U.S. President Donald Trump continues to advocate for a diplomatic solution while asserting that he wants to keep his country out of the war.

Trump believes that direct U.S. involvement could expand the conflict further without serving a clear goal, CNN reported on Monday morning.

Possibly confirming Trump’s desire to prevent further escalation, Axios reported that the U.S. president vetoed an assassination attempt of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei when an opportunity presented itself over the weekend.

“We communicated to the Israelis that President Trump is opposed to that. The Iranians haven't killed an American and discussion of killing political leaders should not be on the table,” a U.S. official said.

Several media outlets reported that Israel had considered such a move. However, National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi flatly denied these reports, calling them “fake news” on Sunday.

On Monday, he told Kan News, “Currently, there is no intention to harm the political leadership. But the term ‘right now’ is valid for about 60 seconds. There was no intention to harm Khamenei.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also denied reports of a conversation between the U.S. and Israel regarding the issue.

Meanwhile, Trump spoke to reporters as he left for the G7 Summit in Canada, reiterating that he wants a diplomatic solution.

“I hope there’s gonna be a deal, I think it’s time for a deal… but sometimes they have to fight it out,” he said.

Trump declined to answer whether he requested Israel to halt its strikes on Iran. Asked if the U.S. intends to continue participating in Israel’s defense against Iranian missiles, he replied, “We do.”

Regarding Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu, Trump said, “We get along very well and I think we have great respect for each other.”

Israel has eliminated large parts of Iran’s military leadership, including the overall chief of staff, the commander of the Revolutionary Guards, and numerous other senior officers.

However, the only civilian official who was targeted, and whose death hasn’t been finally confirmed, is the Supreme Leader’s senior advisor, Ali Shamkhani.