Key facts
- President Donald Trump threatened to "completely decimate" Iran with 1,000 missiles if Tehran acts on threats to kill him.
- Trump cited Israeli intelligence regarding an alleged Iranian plot to assassinate him.
- The U.S. does not have an automatic "dead man's switch" for military retaliation.
- If Trump were killed, Vice President JD Vance would assume command and authority for retaliation.
- Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, vowed retaliation for the killing of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to Iran, threatening to "completely decimate" the country with 1,000 missiles if Tehran acts on alleged threats to assassinate him. The threats, reportedly based on Israeli intelligence, were referenced by Trump on his social media platform, stating that missiles were "Locked and Loaded and aimed at the Islamic Republic of Iran."
Despite Trump's strong rhetoric, the U.S. government does not possess an automatic "dead man's switch" for military retaliation. Should Trump be killed, the authority to order retaliatory strikes would immediately transfer to Vice President JD Vance, who would then decide on the course of action.
Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, vowed that Iranians would avenge the killing of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who died in U.S. and Israeli strikes in late February. He stated that retaliation is "the will of our nation and must certainly be carried out."
Recent funeral events in Iran saw mourners displaying posters calling for Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be killed. The Wall Street Journal reported that Israel had alerted U.S. officials to these fresh Iranian plots. Sabrina Singh, a former deputy Pentagon press secretary, confirmed that Iran's targeting of senior American leaders is a known and credible threat.
Trump himself has been the target of assassination attempts and noted he is "No. 1 on their list." His decision to fly on an older Air Force One jet instead of a newer, reportedly less secure aircraft, has also raised security questions amid renewed U.S.-Iran strikes.