Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) on Thursday expressed skepticism about an Israeli intelligence assessment that Iran was planning a new assassination attempt on President Donald Trump, highlighting that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could be the primary beneficiary of such an assessment.
Smith appeared on CNN's “The Source” with host Kaitlan Collins to discuss a Wall Street Journal report published Thursday. He acknowledged that Iran has previously vowed revenge on Trump for ordering the 2020 killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani but urged caution.
Smith's Analysis of the Intel
“Well, it's very hard to tell,” Smith said. “I mean, certainly Iran has made the statement … since the killing of Soleimani — gosh, over six years ago now. It's also easy to see that Israel would want to sort of buck up Trump, make him more willing to take on Iran more strongly.”
He noted that Netanyahu has long pushed for a tougher stance and a more hawkish approach toward Iran. “Now, crucially, without any clear plan for how that's going to turn into some sort of success, in terms of fundamentally breaking the Iranian regime,” Smith added. “But Israel certainly has that interest.”
Netanyahu's Historical Ambitions
Netanyahu has frequently shared ambitions for a “Greater Israel,” which would involve claiming neighboring territories. He described his efforts last year as a “historic and spiritual mission,” though such expansion would violate international law.
After Trump launched a war on Iran in February with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes, Secretary of State Marco Rubio revealed that the U.S. attacked “preemptively” because the administration “knew” impending Israeli strikes on Iran would trigger “an attack against American forces.”
Costs of the Conflict
The war has cost at least 13 U.S. military service members and more than 3,000 Iranians their lives, and it reignited conflict between Israel and Lebanon. Trump claimed Iran was building nuclear weapons, a charge Netanyahu has echoed for decades, as highlighted by a “The Daily Show” montage. Netanyahu himself was accused last year of war crimes by the International Criminal Court over the Israeli genocide in Palestine.
Ceasefire Collapse and Uncertain Future
The Wall Street Journal report, citing “people familiar with the matter,” came one day after Trump declared the U.S.-Iran ceasefire was “over,” abandoning a memorandum of understanding signed last month to end hostilities.
“So, it's hard to know, it's hard to know exactly what that intel is,” Smith said. “I mean, the bigger problem as you've pointed out, the ceasefire has broken down. We don't seem to have a plan, going forward, for how to achieve our objectives, or even to stop the conflict.”
