President Donald Trump on Friday issued a stark warning to Iran, declaring that the United States would "decimate and destroy" the country if Tehran carries out an assassination attempt against him. In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated that "1000 Missiles are Locked and Loaded and aimed at the Islamic Republic of Iran, with thousands of more to immediately follow" should the Iranian government act on what he described as threats to assassinate the sitting U.S. president. He emphasized that orders have already been given to the U.S. military to be prepared for a one-year period, subject to extension, to "completely decimate and destroy all areas of Iran."
The president's warning came one day after The Wall Street Journal reported that Israeli intelligence had shared information with U.S. officials indicating that Iran was considering a new plot to assassinate Trump. Earlier this week, Trump told reporters at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, that he remains Iran's top target, stating, "I'm No. 1 on the kill list for Iran." He also told the New York Post that he has left standing instructions to strike Iran at unprecedented levels if an assassination attempt against him succeeds, saying, "I've left instructions — if anything happens, to just literally bomb them at levels that they've never seen before."
Despite the reports, Trump dismissed the notion that Israeli intelligence had uncovered a new plot, telling the New York Post, "No, no, Israel came up with nothing." He added, "I've been No. 1 [on Iran's kill list] for a long time, and it's the way life is, you know." The New York Times reported that following Trump's trip to Turkey, the U.S. Secret Service recommended he travel aboard the older Air Force One rather than the newly retrofitted Boeing 747 donated by Qatar, as a security precaution amid renewed hostilities with Iran. The White House has not confirmed whether the aircraft change was directly related to specific threats, but White House Communications Director Steven Cheung stated that the new Air Force One is equipped with advanced security features to ensure the president's safety.
Iran has sought Trump's assassination since he ordered the 2020 military strike that killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani. This week, mourners repeatedly called for Trump's death during the funeral for Iran's former supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The tensions have escalated further as a U.S.-Iran ceasefire has unraveled in recent days. Iran attacked commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz this week, prompting renewed U.S. military action, including strikes targeting Iranian military infrastructure tied to maritime operations. Trump has since declared the ceasefire "over" and warned of further action if Iran continues its attacks.
Senior U.S. officials have also expressed concerns about the prospects for a nuclear deal with Iran. The Wall Street Journal reported that a nuclear agreement is "growing increasingly unlikely," according to a rare acknowledgment from senior U.S. officials. A deal to limit Iran's nuclear capacity was one of Trump's core foreign-policy goals, but officials expect Iran to release a statement declaring it will stop firing at ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz and keep the waterway open. One official suggested there would be serious consequences if such a promise is not made by Saturday, though others did not indicate a firm deadline. Under the current memorandum of understanding, the U.S. and Iran have 60 days to reach a final nuclear agreement, which could be extended. However, Iran has made no explicit promises to scale back its nuclear program in the interim deal, according to the Journal.
The White House and the U.S. Secret Service have not yet commented on the latest developments. The situation remains fluid, with both military and diplomatic tensions between the two countries at a high point. Trump's warnings underscore the administration's hardline stance against Iran, as the region braces for potential further escalation.
