The Israeli government reportedly fed Trump a claim that Iran is plotting to kill him — a move framed here as manipulation to keep the US locked into its war with Iran, bad for anyone hoping the fighting ends.

• Israel told Trump he tops Iran's kill list, and he responded by ordering that Iran be bombed at unprecedented levels if he's harmed.
• The same Israeli intelligence earlier promised a quick, easy war; instead it's dragged on 4.5 months, with Iran able to threaten the Strait of Hormuz and no regime change.
• Democrat Adam Smith, head of the Armed Services Committee, publicly questioned whether the Israeli intel is real — a rare break from Washington's usual support.
• The supposed hit list naming obscure US figures like Mark Dubowitz reads as propaganda, since ordinary Iranians wouldn't know these names.
• Fear over the plot is driving new fortifications and fencing around the White House.

Outlook: With the ceasefire broken and no plan to end the war, Trump's belief in the plot is likely to keep the conflict going.