Johnson needed the backing of 100 by Monday to proceed to the next stage, which would have seen him going head-to-head against Sunak in a vote by the Conservative Party's 170,000 members.
Sunak was defeated by Truss in the race to replace Boris Johnson in September after losing an election held by members of the Conservative party across the country.
The former prime minister received the support of dozens of Conservative lawmakers for an audacious attempt to win a second term.
Those seeking to replace Truss must secure 100 nominations from Conservative lawmakers by Monday. The winner will be announced on Monday or next Friday.
Liz Truss says she is committed to the Conservative Party’s outlook on Israel, saying, “There is no greater friend to the UK than Israel.”
Accordingly, the good news is that irrespective of who wins this week’s Tory leadership contest, Israel will continue to have a self-declared friend in Number 10.
Both candidates Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak promise to counter Iran’s nuclear ambitions, secure a UK-Israel free trade deal, fight BDS.
"We do not consider anyone other than himself and his supporters worthy of ...reproach and condemnation," said Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani.
The system that brings a person to the position of UK prime minister and thus head of the government bears no resemblance to US presidential elections.
Polls show Truss would beat Sunak in the party members' contest, but all could change as the two finalists start weeks of hustings up and down the country before the party's membership.