Iran attacks US failures as scepticism grows over Israeli role in Trump 'assassination plot'
Iran has accused the US of allowing faulty intelligence to drive it into war, as new reports revealed that CIA analysts doubted an Israeli warning that triggered a secret security operation during President Donald Trump’s visit to Turkey.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Thursday that Washington “has long miscalculated due to intelligence failures”, including when it launched its war on Iran.
He said US actions in the Strait of Hormuz represented “an even bigger miscalculation”.
“Worse than fake news is fake intelligence,” Araghchi wrote on X.
His comments came as The Washington Post confirmed earlier reporting by Middle East Eye that Turkish officials viewed an Israeli warning about an Iranian plot to assassinate Trump during last month’s Nato summit in Ankara as a ruse designed to undermine negotiations with Tehran.
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Israel passed the intelligence to the CIA, but US analysts found it unconvincing and warned administration officials about its low credibility, the newspaper reported.
The warning prompted security officials to fly Trump out of Turkey aboard an alternative military aircraft after he secretly switched planes on the tarmac in Ankara.
Israel passed the intelligence to the CIA, but US analysts found it unconvincing and warned administration officials about its low credibility...
Trump confirmed the operation on Tuesday, saying he had followed the instructions of his security team.
The dispute over Israeli intelligence comes alongside continuing and competing declarations about control of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy routes.
Hossein Taeb, commander of the Basij paramilitary unit, an affiliate of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said the waterway was “under Iran’s control and management”.
“Today you see that the Strait of Hormuz is under the management and control of the Islamic Republic, and our country continues on its path in complete security,” Taeb said, according to Iran’s Fars news agency.
“The Americans saw the power of the Islamic revolution,” he added.
His comments came a day after Trump claimed that the US had “total control” of the strategic waterway.
'The hypocrisy is blatant and embarrassing'
Separately, Araghchi also attacked France and other Western governments for condemning Iran’s treatment of protesters while continuing to support Israel despite its genocide in Gaza and attacks across the Middle East.
“Countries like France should stop lecturing the world about ‘human rights’ and international law. The hypocrisy is blatant and embarrassing,” he wrote.
“Your backing of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, and aggression against Iran, has destroyed whatever moral high ground you imagined you had.”
Meanwhile, Democratic US Senator Richard Blumenthal demanded answers from War Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Navy over deteriorating conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has spent more than 250 days at sea.
“The Trump Admin must explain what they are doing to support sailors on the USS Abraham Lincoln who have been continuously at sea for nearly 7 months,” he wrote on X.
"Widespread reports of supply shortages, plumbing issues, deteriorating mental health & more demand immediate attention.”
Washington diverted the aircraft carrier from exercises in the South China Sea to the Middle East in late January as it built up forces before launching the war on Iran.
Since then, US military families and members of Congress have raised concerns over worsening mental health conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln as its 5,000 sailors and marines endure a prolonged deployment linked to the war on Iran.
The Navy Times and Stars and Stripes reported that several sailors had attempted to jump overboard as difficult conditions and psychological pressure pushed the crew towards breaking point.
The carrier has entered its ninth month at sea. Its crew has spent 250 consecutive days without reaching land, marking the longest uninterrupted deployment by a modern aircraft carrier.
Stars and Stripes reported that one woman told officials her husband had sent her a message that day saying “he hopes he doesn’t wake up tomorrow”.
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