Netanyahu: Israel 'Exacting Heavy Price from Terror-supporting Regimes'

Israeli Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a special session of the Knesset, Israel's parliament, to approve and swear in a new right-wing government, in Jerusalem December 29, 2022. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/Pool
Israeli Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a special session of the Knesset, Israel's parliament, to approve and swear in a new right-wing government, in Jerusalem December 29, 2022. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/Pool
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Netanyahu: Israel 'Exacting Heavy Price from Terror-supporting Regimes'

Israeli Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a special session of the Knesset, Israel's parliament, to approve and swear in a new right-wing government, in Jerusalem December 29, 2022. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/Pool
Israeli Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a special session of the Knesset, Israel's parliament, to approve and swear in a new right-wing government, in Jerusalem December 29, 2022. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/Pool

Israel is "exacting a heavy price from terrorist-supporting regimes" outside of its borders, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his cabinet in televised remarks on Sunday, without elaborating.

The remark followed what Syria described as an Israeli military strike in Homs province and which, according to Western intelligence sources, hit air bases hosting Iranian personnel.

Israel has for years carried out attacks against what it has described as Iran-linked targets in Syria, where Tehran's influence has grown since it began supporting President Bashar al-Assad in the conflict that began in 2011 following a brutal crackdown of peaceful demonstrators.

Israel has intensified strikes in the last year on Syrian airports and air bases to disrupt what it says is Iran's use of aerial supply lines to deliver arms to militias.

Western intelligence sources have said Iran is increasingly using several civilian airports to deliver more arms, taking advantage of heavy air traffic as cargo planes offload relief aid following February's deadly earthquake.



Trump Vetoed Israeli Plan to Kill Iran’s Supreme Leader, US Officials Say

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei waves during the 36th anniversary of the death of the leader of Iran's 1979 revolution, Khomeini, at Khomeini's shrine in southern Tehran, Iran June 4, 2025. Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via Reuters
Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei waves during the 36th anniversary of the death of the leader of Iran's 1979 revolution, Khomeini, at Khomeini's shrine in southern Tehran, Iran June 4, 2025. Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via Reuters
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Trump Vetoed Israeli Plan to Kill Iran’s Supreme Leader, US Officials Say

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei waves during the 36th anniversary of the death of the leader of Iran's 1979 revolution, Khomeini, at Khomeini's shrine in southern Tehran, Iran June 4, 2025. Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via Reuters
Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei waves during the 36th anniversary of the death of the leader of Iran's 1979 revolution, Khomeini, at Khomeini's shrine in southern Tehran, Iran June 4, 2025. Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via Reuters

President Donald Trump vetoed an Israeli plan in recent days to kill Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, two US officials told Reuters on Sunday.

"Have the Iranians killed an American yet? No. Until they do, we're not even talking about going after the political leadership," said one of the sources, a senior US administration official.

The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said top US officials have been in constant communications with Israeli officials in the days since Israel launched a massive attack on Iran in a bid to halt its nuclear program.

They said the Israelis reported that they had an opportunity to kill the top Iranian leader, but Trump waved them off of the plan.

The officials would not say whether Trump himself delivered the message. But Trump has been in frequent communications with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

When asked about Reuters report, Netanyahu, in an interview on Sunday with Fox News Channel's "Special Report With Bret Baier," said: "There's so many false reports of conversations that never happened, and I'm not going to get into that."

"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," Netanyahu said.

Trump has been holding out hope for a resumption of US-Iranian negotiations over Tehran's nuclear program. Talks that had been scheduled for Sunday in Oman were canceled as a result of the strikes.

Trump told Reuters on Friday that "we knew everything" about the Israeli strikes.