Donald Trump threatens 1,000 missiles at Iran over assassination plot

President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that the United States has “1,000 missiles locked and loaded and aimed at the Islamic Republic of Iran, with thousands more to follow” if Tehran attempts to assassinate him. He framed the warning as a “dead man’s switch,” saying the orders would be carried out at “levels never seen before.”

Legal and military experts noted that the U.S. has no automatic mechanism to launch strikes upon a president’s death; succession would be governed by the 25th Amendment and the Presidential Succession Act, placing Vice President JD Vance in command of any response. Iran’s newly appointed Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, pledged retaliation for the death of his father and for any attack on Tehran. U.S. officials described the Iranian threats as credible, though they rejected the notion of an automatic retaliation system. The remarks came amid heightened tensions following recent strikes in the Strait of Hormuz and intelligence shared by Israel about a possible Iranian plot against the U.S. president.