Former President Donald Trump warned Iran that any successful assassination attempt against him would trigger massive military strikes, saying he had “left instructions” for devastating retaliation against Tehran.
The threat emerged as U.S. officials have tracked multiple alleged Iranian plots targeting Trump over several years. Trump’s explicit warning represents a shift from the diplomatic language typically used by government officials in similar security matters.
The Warning
“If anything happens, to just literally bomb them at levels that they’ve never seen before,” Trump said, describing instructions he claimed to have left. He connected the warning to Iran’s past military losses, including strikes on nuclear sites and air defenses.
Legal experts noted that any instructions Trump issued would ultimately fall under the authority of the sitting commander-in-chief at the time of any incident. Vice President JD Vance would hold that power if such circumstances arose during a Trump presidency.
Security Measures and History
Trump’s warning coincided with concrete security decisions made in recent months. His decision to switch from a new Air Force One aircraft to an existing model during a recent NATO visit has been attributed by observers to threat intelligence assessments.
Trump has survived three assassination attempts during his recent political career. Officials have also noted that border policies factor into threat assessments, with some saying immigration procedures created operational windows for potential Iranian operatives.
Long-Standing Tensions
Iranian threats targeting Trump span a six-year period, with tensions intensifying following the 2020 death of Qasem Soleimani in a U.S. airstrike. Iranian officials have repeatedly invoked retaliation for that strike, maintaining it as a central grievance in U.S.-Iran relations.
