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President Donald Trump on Friday warned Iran that the United States would “decimate and destroy” the country if Tehran carried out an assassination attempt against him.
“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!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The president said he had already directed the U.S. military to be prepared to retaliate if Iran carried out an assassination attempt against him.
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President Donald Trump speaks as he meets with NATO Secretary General on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, on July 8, 2026. (SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images)
“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!” Trump said.
Trump’s comments came one day after The Wall Street Journal reported that Israeli intelligence recently shared information with U.S. officials indicating Iran was considering a new plot to assassinate the president.
Earlier this week, Trump told reporters at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, that he remains Iran’s top target.
TRUMP SAYS HE’S IRAN’S ‘NO. 1’ TARGET AS RENEWED CONFLICT RAISES ASSASSINATION FEARS
A U.S. Secret Service agent, left, protects President Donald Trump, right. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
“I’m No. 1 on the kill list for Iran,” the president said.
Earlier Friday, Trump also told the New York Post he had left standing instructions to strike Iran if an assassination attempt against him succeeded.
“I’ve been on their list for a long time. That’s what we’re dealing with,” Trump said. “… The only thing is, I’ve left instructions — if anything happens, to just literally bomb them at levels that they’ve never seen before.”
TRUMP SAYS HE LEFT INSTRUCTIONS TO ‘BOMB’ IRAN ‘AT LEVELS’ NEVER SEEN IF HE IS ASSASSINATED
Mourners gather around a vehicle transporting the coffin of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on Feb. 28 in Israeli and U.S. airstrikes, and coffins of his family members, on the day of his burial, in a culmination of a mass funeral, in Mashhad, Iran, July 9, 2026. (Majid Asgaripour/West Asia News Agency, via REUTERS)
Trump also dismissed reports that Israeli intelligence had uncovered a new Iranian assassination plot against him.
“No, no, Israel came up with nothing,” Trump told the newspaper. “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 said whether the aircraft change was related to specific security concerns, but said the new Air Force One is equipped with advanced security features.
“The new Air Force One is a state-of-the-art aircraft that has been fitted with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the President and his staff,” White House Communications Director Steven Cheung previously told Digital. “As the President has said recently, there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal to address those threats.”
Iran has sought Trump’s assassination since he ordered the 2020 military strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani.
This week, mourners repeatedly called for Trump’s death during the funeral for Iran’s former supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
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President Donald Trump speaks with the media aboard Air Force One shortly after departure from Mildenhall Air Force Base in the United Kingdom, after he switched from the old VC-25A Air Force One to the newer VC-25B Bridge Air Force One, en route to Washington, on July 8, 2026. (SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images)
The comments also come 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 a new round of strikes targeting Iranian military infrastructure tied to maritime operations and other military sites.
Trump has since declared the ceasefire “over” and warned of further action if Iran continues its attacks.
Digital has reached out to the White House and the U.S. Secret Service for comment.
Digital’s Morgan Phillips and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
