Donald Trump has revealed that he has left explicit instructions for a devastating retaliatory strike against Iran should the country succeed in its alleged plots to assassinate him. The US president made the remarks in an interview with the New York Post, stating that he has been high on Iran's target list for years.
Trump's Warning to Iran
Speaking to the New York Post, Trump said: “I have been on their list for a long time. That’s what we are dealing with. The only thing is, I have left instructions — if anything happens, to just literally bomb them at levels that they have never seen before.” The statement comes as recent reports indicate that Israel has shared intelligence with the United States suggesting Iran had recently devised a new plan to assassinate Trump.
Trump dismissed the notion that the new intelligence was significant, saying: “No, no. Israel came up with nothing. No, no. I have been No. 1 [on Iran’s kill list] for a long time, and it’s the way life is, you know. I hope you will miss me.”
Escalating Tensions and Ceasefire Collapse
On Friday, Trump declared that the ceasefire with Iran is over, while also announcing that the US has agreed to Iran's alleged request to continue talks. This followed fresh military strikes between the two nations two days earlier, marking a sharp escalation in tensions. The US carried out military strikes on Iranian targets, including ports and key infrastructure, over two consecutive nights after alleging that Iran had attacked three vessels in the Strait, violating the conditions of an interim peace agreement.
In response to the escalating situation, Qatari negotiators reportedly travelled to Iran in an urgent attempt to revive diplomatic talks and help ease tensions following two days of renewed military action in the region.
Background of Threats
Iran has openly threatened Trump since 2020, when he ordered the US drone strike that killed Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani, a figure regarded as one of the country's most influential military leaders. The killing sharply escalated tensions between Washington and Tehran, with Iranian officials repeatedly vowing retaliation. Since then, US authorities have uncovered and disrupted several alleged plots linked to threats against Trump.
These concerns intensified following an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024, when a gunman's bullet grazed Trump's ear, prompting heightened security measures and renewed scrutiny of threats against the US president.
