Donald Trump has blocked an Israeli plan to assassinate Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, US officials have claimed.
The US President rejected the operation in recent days, with one senior administration official explaining Trump's reasoning.
"Have the Iranians killed an American yet? No. Until they do, we're not even talking about going after the political leadership," one of the officials told Reuters.
The veto comes as tensions between Israel and Iran have reached new heights following Israeli strikes on Iran's nuclear programme.
The officials, speaking anonymously, revealed that Israeli forces had identified an opportunity to kill Khamenei but were prevented from proceeding by Trump's intervention.
Top US officials have maintained constant communication with their Israeli counterparts since Israel launched its massive attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, the sources revealed.
Trump has been in frequent contact with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu throughout the crisis.
When questioned about the Reuters report during a Fox News interview, Netanyahu dismissed the claims.
"There's so many false reports of conversations that never happened, and I'm not going to get into that," he said.
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US officials have claimed Donald Trump has blocked an Israeli plan to assassinate Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
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The Israeli Prime Minister added: "But I can tell you, I think that we do what we need to do, we'll do what we need to do.
"And I think the United States knows what is good for the United States."
The conflict between Israel and Iran has escalated dramatically in recent days.
Israel has claimed responsibility for assassinating nine nuclear scientists and several top military officials under 'Operation Rising Lion', with one strike reportedly causing a structural collapse at Iran's Natanz enrichment facility.
Fire rages at Tehran's Shahran oil depot after Israeli attack
REUTERS
Iran responded with missile barrages under 'Operation True Promise III', triggering air raid sirens across Israel, including Tel Aviv.
Israeli jets subsequently struck key locations in Tehran.
In a televised address, Khamenei declared: "We will not permit them to evade consequences for this significant wrongdoing they have perpetrated."
A senior Israeli official previously told The Wall Street Journal that targeting Khamenei was "not off limits".
Missiles launched from Iran towards Israel
REUTERS
Trump has expressed hope for diplomatic solutions between the two nations.
On Friday, he told Reuters "we knew everything" about the Israeli strikes, whilst maintaining a cautious stance on military escalation.
The President wrote on his Truth Social platform on Sunday: "We will have peace, soon, between Israel and Iran!
"Many calls and meetings are now taking place."
Trump had been hoping for a resumption of US-Iranian negotiations over Tehran's nuclear programme, though talks scheduled for Sunday in Oman were cancelled following the Israeli strikes.
His intervention reflects pressure from allies including Senator Rand Paul, who stated: "It's not the US's job to be involved in this war."
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