MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Trump threatens Iran with '1,000 missiles' over alleged assassination plot

The message came after reports that Israel shared intelligence with Washington about an alleged new Iranian plan to kill Trump

US President Donald Trump warned that “1,000 missiles” are armed and aimed at Iran, ready to strike the country should Tehran attempt to assassinate him, in a message posted on his social network that raises tension with the Islamic Republic amid an already ongoing military escalation.

”1,000 missiles are locked and loaded and aimed at the Islamic Republic of Iran, with thousands more to immediately follow, should the Iranian government act on its threat (…) to assassinate, or attempt to assassinate, the sitting president of the United States,“ Trump wrote. The president said he had ordered the armed forces to ”completely decimate and destroy all areas of Iran” if an attack against him were carried out, and stated that the instruction is valid for one year, subject to extension. The figures and capabilities mentioned are the president's own assertions and were not detailed by the Pentagon.

The message came after reports that Israel shared intelligence with Washington about an alleged new Iranian plan to kill Trump. According to US media, American officials had not verified that plot nor were tracking it before the Israeli warning, and part of the intelligence community regards it as inconclusive. Some officials also suggested the Israeli report could be part of an effort to influence Trump's decisions on intensifying the military campaign against Iran. In an earlier interview, the president himself implied there was no recent plot, though he said Tehran has considered him a target for years.

The warning, which according to US media contributed to the security service moving Trump to a better-protected presidential aircraft during a recent flight, is set against the open confrontation between Washington and Tehran. Iran has for years vowed to retaliate for the death of General Qasem Soleimani, ordered by Trump in 2020. Tensions worsened in recent days with fresh exchanges of strikes that ended the ceasefire reached last month, episodes MercoPress has covered.

The climate grew more strained after the funeral of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, killed at the start of the war, during which slogans and banners calling for Trump's death were reported. Despite the rhetoric, US officials indicated that diplomatic efforts to reach a nuclear deal before mid-August are continuing behind the scenes.