Trump says US ‘could get involved’ in Israel, Iran conflict, but rejects Tel Aviv's plan to kill Ayatollah Khamenei

President Donald Trump believes that a peace agreement between Israel and Iran is possible, but the two sides may need to ‘fight it out’ before they are ready to reach a peace deal. He further asserted that the US could directly get involved in the conflict.

Trump’s comments come as Israel has made it clear it will not stop its military efforts to destroy Iran’s nuclear programme, while Iran has started hitting back more strongly. The two nations have been exchanging attacks, with Israel on Sunday striking Iran's capital, Tehran. Iran, in turn, has launched several waves of drones and missiles.

Trump told reporters at the White House on Sunday,“Sometimes they have to fight it out, but we’re going to see what happens." The president added, "I think there’s a good chance there’ll be a deal.” 

Earlier on Sunday, Trump, in an interview with ABC News, said it was “possible” the US could get involved in the conflict, even as he noted that the US is “not at this moment involved.”

Trump rejects Tel Aviv's plan to kill Ayatollah Khamenei

Donald Trump turned down an Israeli proposal to assassinate Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a US official familiar with the development said, as reported by AP.

The Israelis informed the Trump administration in recent days that they had developed a credible plan to kill Khamenei. After being briefed on the plan, the White House made it clear that Trump was opposed to the move, according to the official. 

Later, when Fox News asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the White House rejecting the plan, he did not directly address it. 

“But I can tell you, I think that we do what we need to do, we’ll do what we need to do," Netanyahu said. “And I think the United States knows what is good for the United States.”

Netanyahu's spokesperson, Omer Dostri, later called reports about the Israeli plan to kill Khamenei “fake.”

Netanyahu in the Fox interview also said regime change “could certainly be the result” of the conflict "because the Iranian regime is very weak.”

The escalating conflict between Israel and Iran in the oil-rich region has roiled financial markets. Oil climbed early Monday, with Brent crude rising as much as 5.5% in early Asian trading.

The conflict threatens to also open a new rift at the upcoming G-7 summit, with leaders like French President Emmanuel Macron urging both sides to de-escalate before the fight spurs a broader regional conflict. Leaders are meeting with tensions already high among the world’s largest economies over US tariffs and Russia’s war in Ukraine.

(With inputs from Bloomberg and AP)