Trump approved Iran operation ‘after Netanyahu argued for joint killing of Khamenei’

South China Morning Post National SecurityNews ReportEN 1 min read 100% complete by ReutersMarch 23, 2026 at 08:59 PM

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Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthis join Iran in strike on Israel

AI Summary

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According to sources, Donald Trump approved a joint US-Israeli operation against Iran after a phone call with Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu reportedly urged Trump to authorize a "decapitation strike" targeting Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his key lieutenants, who were believed to be meeting in Tehran. Netanyahu argued this was a unique opportunity to eliminate Khamenei and retaliate for alleged Iranian plots to assassinate Trump, including a 2024 murder-for-hire scheme. The intelligence suggesting the meeting had been moved forward prompted Netanyahu to push for the strike, despite Trump's previous opposition to such military interventions. The operation was approved less than 48 hours before its commencement.

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Framing Angle

National Security

Primary framing

Political Strategy

Secondary framing

Mixed Tone

Sensationalism

Factual

Fact vs Opinion

OpinionFactual

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Well sourced

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Key Claims (5)

AI-Extracted

Iran allegedly orchestrated a murder-for-hire plot in 2024 to assassinate Trump.

factual — Article80% confidence

Netanyahu spoke by phone to Trump about reasons for launching a strike on Iran.

factual — Article80% confidence

Netanyahu argued that there might never be a better chance to kill Khamenei.

factual — these people70% confidence

Trump and Netanyahu knew from intelligence briefings that Khamenei would soon meet in Tehran.

factual — Article70% confidence

The meeting had been moved forward to Saturday morning from Saturday night.

factual — Three people briefed on the call60% confidence

Claims are automatically extracted and should be independently verified. Attribution indicates the stated source of the claim.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Pakistan 30% Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps 40% Justice Department 50% Qassem Soleimani 50% Tehran 60% Israel 60% Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ×270% United States ×380% Iran ×680% Benjamin Netanyahu ×390% Donald Trump ×490%

Keywords

iran operation 90% decapitation strike 80% ali khamenei 70% benjamin netanyahu 70% donald trump 70% us-israeli strike 60% assassination plot 50% intelligence briefings 50% qassem soleimani 40% iran 40%