Trump warns Iran of massive strike if he is assassinated

President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to Iran on July 11, stating the United States is prepared to launch a massive military strike if he is assassinated, as diplomatic efforts to salvage a collapsed ceasefire intensified amid a new round of cross-border attacks. The threat, posted on his Truth Social platform, came after public calls for his death during funeral processions for Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Trump wrote that 1,000 missiles are "locked and loaded" and aimed at Iran, with thousands more to follow should the Iranian government act on what he described as a global threat against his life. He declared that orders have been given for the U.S. military to be ready "for a one year period of time, subject to extension, to completely decimate and destroy all areas of Iran." In an interview, Trump said he had left standing instructions for an unprecedented bombing campaign if he were killed, though he stated there was no fresh intelligence indicating an imminent plot.

The president’s remarks followed days of heightened military action. The United States launched airstrikes on dozens of Iranian military targets on July 8 and 9, which U.S....