Assassinations unleashed under Trump haunt Iran war endgame

A joint U.S.-Israeli operation killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in February, escalating assassination threats against President Trump and his officials. Iranian leaders have vowed revenge for the killing and a 2020 drone strike that killed General Qassem Suleimani, with U.S. intelligence tracking Iranian plots to target the president and his top aides for years. The cycle of targeted killings has complicated peace efforts, as both sides now view each other's survival as existential threats, making diplomatic resolution increasingly difficult.