His claim that “a thousand missiles are aimed” at Iran heightens geopolitical tensions and raises fresh concerns across global financial markets.
🔍 What you need to know:
- Massive retaliation: Trump revealed he has given orders to destroy Iran if he is targeted in an attack. According to him, 1,000 missiles are already “locked and loaded” and ready to be launched immediately.
- Intense threats from Iran: The Iranian regime has maintained direct threats against Trump since the assassination of Soleimani, which intensified following the death of Ayatollah Khamenei, amid reports of new assassination plots.
- Military escalation: Trump ended the ceasefire following Iranian attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. In response, CENTCOM bombed approximately 170 military targets and 60 Iranian vessels. According to reports and diplomatic communications, Iran itself acknowledged that a hardline Iranian faction carried out the attacks with the aim of sabotaging negotiations.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he has ordered the American armed forces to prepare for massive strikes against Iran if the Iranian government assassinates him or attempts to do so.
“A thousand missiles are locked and loaded, aimed at the Islamic Republic of Iran, with thousands more ready to be launched immediately afterward if the Iranian government carries out its threat, made in many parts of the world, to assassinate, or attempt to assassinate, the current President of the United States of America—in this case, ME!” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
“The orders have already been given, and the U.S. Armed Forces are ready, willing, and able, for a period of one year, subject to extension, to devastate and completely destroy every area of Iran,” he added.
Trump Reveals “Instructions” for Retaliation if He Is Killed
In an interview with the New York Post on Friday (July 10), Trump publicly reaffirmed that his team already has explicit retaliation orders in place should he become the target of an assassination.
If the Iranian government succeeds in killing him, the warning is direct:
“I’ve left instructions—if anything happens, literally bomb them like never before.”
“I hope they miss me,” he added.
The heightened tension comes amid reports that Iran continues to maintain active plans for revenge. According to the New York Post, Israel shared intelligence with the United States regarding a new Iranian plot to assassinate Trump. The president, however, downplayed the latest intelligence, saying that Iranian threats against him have persisted since his first term in office.
Longstanding Rivalry and the Killing of Soleimani
Trump has remained a declared target of Iranian retaliation ever since he ordered the drone strike that killed General Qasem Soleimani, one of Iran’s top military leaders, during his first term. At the time, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed “severe revenge.”
Khamenei was killed on February 28 of this year, along with several members of his family, during joint U.S. and Israeli strikes. Even after his death, Iran remains determined to retaliate, according to intelligence sources.
During the funeral of Iran’s supreme leader, demonstrators displayed signs bearing messages such as “Kill Trump.”
Recent Military Escalation and the End of the Ceasefire
On Friday (July 10), Trump announced the end of the ceasefire with Iran.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran asked us to continue the ‘talks.’ We agreed to do so, but the United States made it crystal clear to them that the ceasefire is OVER!” he wrote on Truth Social.
In the preceding days, the United States carried out intense airstrikes against Iranian targets. According to the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), approximately 90 military targets were struck on Wednesday and another 80 on Tuesday, including air defense systems, missile facilities, drones, naval assets, and logistics infrastructure along Iran’s coastline. At least 60 Iranian boats were also hit.
Trump justified the strikes by citing alleged Iranian attacks against commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
“They started firing rockets at ships. So we hit them very hard. I’d say 20 times harder,” Trump said alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Turkey.
According to U.S. officials and reports published on Friday (July 10), Iran acknowledged in diplomatic communications that a hardline faction within the country carried out attacks on commercial shipping in an effort to sabotage negotiations between Tehran and Washington.
The president again used harsh language to describe Iran’s leadership:
Security Concerns and Aircraft Change
Concerns over Trump’s security became evident following his participation in the NATO summit in Turkey. Upon returning to the United States, the president chose to fly aboard the older Air Force One instead of the new luxury jet donated by Qatar, following a recommendation from the U.S. Secret Service because of its additional protective capabilities.
Trump’s statement about the “thousand missiles” and the standing retaliation orders has further intensified geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, raising concerns across global financial markets over the possibility of another surge in oil prices and broader economic instability.
Sources and References
- Trump says 1,000 missiles aimed at Iran if Tehran targets US president — Reuters
- Trump tells The Post he’s left instructions should Iran succeed in assassinating its No. 1 target — New York Post
- Qasem Soleimani: US kills top Iranian general in Baghdad air strike — BBC News
- Iran’s supreme leader pledges revenge for slain predecessor — Reuters
- U.S. Forces Complete Another Round of Strikes Against Iran — U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM)
- U.S. Forces Complete New Round of Retaliatory Strikes Against Iran — U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM)
- US insists Iran commit to stopping attacks in Hormuz Strait, say US officials — Reuters
- Trump says interim accord with Iran to end war is over — Reuters
- Inside Trump’s Air Force One: How US and Israel Tracked Iranian Intelligence — The Wall Street Journal