Donald Trump threatened to subject Iran to heavy bombing for a year or longer if they try to assassinate him, in a late-night outburst on Truth Social. The President claimed orders had "already been given" to "completely decimate and destroy all areas of Iran" in response to any assassination attempt.
Trump's Truth Social Tirade
Taking to Truth Social early on Saturday, Trump wrote: "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 its threat, pronounced in many corners of the Globe, to assassinate, or attempt to assassinate, the sitting President of the United States of America, in this case, ME!"
He continued: "Orders have already been given, and the U.S. Military is ready, willing, and able, for a one year period of time, subject to extension, to completely decimate and destroy all areas of Iran – PRAISE BE TO ALLAH! President DONALD J. TRUMP."
Background of Tensions
Tensions between the US and Iran have boiled over once again. Trump declared on Wednesday that the ceasefire between the two countries is over, with fresh strikes raining down on Tehran this week. The President suspended the ceasefire agreement on Tuesday after Iran launched missile attacks at three oil and gas vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. The US side cancelled the waiver on Iranian oil sanctions and hit 180 Iranian targets in just two days of renewed strikes on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Iranian demonstrators made open calls to kill Trump, displaying giant banners and signs at the funeral of Iran's late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the first wave of joint US-Israeli strikes in February this year. According to reports, Iran has openly sought the President's assassination since 2020, after Trump commanded the attack that killed Iranian military officer Qasem Soleimani.
Trump's Comments on Assassination Threats
Last week, Israeli intelligence reportedly shared information with the US about a possible plan to assassinate Trump, but Trump shrugged off the idea. "No, no. Israel came up with nothing," he told the New York Post. "I've been No. 1 [on Iran's kill list] for a long time, and it's the way life is, you know."
He also told the outlet that should any Iranian assassination plot succeed, he has "left instructions" that would see the US "just literally bomb them at levels that they've never seen before."
Security Measures and NATO Summit
When returning from the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, Trump reportedly swapped planes, using an old jet instead of Air Force One, as a security tactic after the attacks and after openly declaring Iran wants him dead at the conference.
At the summit, Trump said: "They had leaders, they're gone. Then they had another set of leaders, they're gone. Now they have another set of leaders — they may be gone, who knows? And you know what? I may be gone too. Because I'm their No. 1 target — it's out all over the place. Because they're scum."
