Israeli intelligence has warned the United States about an alleged Iranian plan to attack President Donald Trump and senior members of his administration. The information was passed by Mossad to the Central Intelligence Agency, and US agencies requested additional verification of the intelligence.
According to senior Israeli and US officials, the threats are among the main reasons for the change in Trump's approach to negotiations with Tehran. They say these are specific and imminent threats, including possible attacks involving drones loaded with explosives. Such a scenario is considered difficult to prevent with traditional security measures.
Mossad Director Roman Gofman is currently in the United States, where he has met, among other officials, with CIA Director John Ratcliffe. His visits to Washington have been frequent since taking office and are part of the coordination with his American counterparts.
Increased Security for US Officials
In response to the threats, the officials at risk have significantly limited their participation in outdoor events. Some of them have temporarily been moved from their homes to secure military facilities.
According to Fox News, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was moved from his residence in Washington's Georgetown neighborhood to a military base. Bessent oversees sanctions policy against Iran and is one of the key figures in the economic pressure on Tehran.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have also been housed in secure facilities as part of the heightened security measures surrounding Trump's national security team.
Additional measures have been introduced for the president's public appearances. They are now less frequent, and when they do take place, specialized anti-drone systems are added to the standard security detail.
Trump Removed Vance from the Negotiations
The threats have also affected diplomatic efforts to end the conflict with Iran. Trump removed Vice President J.D. Vance from the negotiations after he had pushed for an agreement and sought an opportunity for direct contact with Iranian representatives.
In a statement published on Thursday, Trump said he had asked Vance to direct his „full and complete attention“ to what the president described as corruption and crime in cities and states governed by Democrats.
„We don't need a deal with Iran. Those days are long gone“, Donald Trump wrote.Iran has shown some flexibility on the nuclear issue, but insists that the naval blockade and a significant portion of the sanctions be lifted first, and that its frozen assets be released.
At the same time, Washington is discussing expanding economic pressure by restricting imports and exports across land borders, particularly along routes to Iraq and Turkey.
The question of whether Trump will order new military strikes over Iran's progress toward acquiring nuclear weapons and rebuilding missile facilities remains unresolved. Such a step could lead to a renewed escalation of the war and severely affect the countries of the Persian Gulf.
Sources: israelhayom.com, apnews.com, axios.com