"Israel Delivers New Iranian Plot to Assassinate Trump"

Fears of Intensified U.S.-Iran Clashes
U.S. Military: "Iran Cannot Control the Strait of Hormuz"

Reuters Yonhap News

Israel has obtained information regarding a new Iranian plot to assassinate former U.S. President Donald Trump and has shared this intelligence with the United States, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on July 9 (local time). As the confrontation between the United States and Iran continues, concerns are rising that tensions between the two sides may escalate further.

Quoting sources, the WSJ reported, "According to Israeli intelligence, Iran has devised a new plan to assassinate President Trump," adding that "this could serve as a signal that may heighten the conflict between the United States and Iran." Previously, during Trump's first term, Iran had threatened to seek revenge for the killing of Qasem Soleimani, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), who was assassinated in a U.S. operation, by targeting President Trump for assassination.

President Trump also stated that Iran is attempting to assassinate him. On July 8, during a press conference following the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit held in Ankara, Türkiye, President Trump said, "They (Iran) are trying to eliminate me, the leader of the United States. My name is on every kill list," adding, "I've been lucky so far, but I don't think my luck will last forever."

Afterward, President Trump boarded the older Air Force One for his return to the United States, then transferred to the new Air Force One at Mildenhall Air Base in the United Kingdom before heading to the White House. There has been speculation that President Trump switched planes mid-journey due to security concerns, such as the assassination threat.

Previously, there were reports that the Revolutionary Guard had established an assassination squad specifically targeting President Trump. On July 5, Israeli media outlet Channel 14, citing anonymous sources, reported that "the Quds Force, a special unit under the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has created a new assassination squad called 'Mukhtar,'" and that "this unit aims to assassinate senior U.S. officials, including President Trump, and has recently been in contact with Mexican drug cartels and Iranians residing overseas to carry out assassination operations."

Meanwhile, the United States and Iran continue to exchange airstrikes as their dispute over control of the Strait of Hormuz persists. On this day, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees U.S. operations in the Iran conflict, stated on the social media platform X, "Iran claims that passage through the Strait of Hormuz is allowed only via routes designated by Iran, but Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz," adding, "Since early May, U.S. forces have enabled the passage of over 800 merchant vessels and 380 million barrels of crude oil through the strait."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.