Trump to ABC News: Before He Could Kill Me, I Killed Him — Defends Preemptive Strike on Khamenei

ABC News correspondent Jonathan Karl reported that President Trump told him he had killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei before Khamenei could kill him, a direct reference to the 2024 Iranian assassination attempts against Trump. The president framed the killing of Khamenei as a preemptive act of self-defense. The remark is the most direct personal statement by Trump on the elimination of the Iranian leader and is expected to intensify congressional debate over presidential war powers.