TRUMP SAYS U.S. HAS "1,000 MISSILES" AIMED AT IRAN IF TEHRAN TARGETS HIM

U.S. President Donald Trump said he ordered the military to prepare strikes on Iran if Tehran attempts to assassinate him, according to Reuters. In a Truth Social post, Trump said "1,000 missiles" were "locked and loaded" and aimed at Iran, with thousands more ready to follow if he is targeted.

Trump said the directive would remain in effect for one year and could be extended, Reuters reported. He said any Iranian action against him would trigger U.S. strikes designed to "decimate and destroy" Iranian targets.

The warning marks a separate escalation from the U.S. demand that Iran guarantee commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. The latest threat is personal and retaliatory, tied to alleged assassination risk rather than maritime security or nuclear negotiations.

The Associated Press reported that Trump and Iran's new supreme leader have exchanged threats as mediators try to keep an interim agreement from collapsing. AP said the threats followed public calls against Trump during the funeral of Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, while Iran's new leadership has vowed retaliation for Khamenei's death.

The crisis is unfolding while Oman, Turkey and other mediators are attempting to preserve diplomacy. AP reported that diplomats are trying to salvage negotiations despite renewed U.S.-Iran threats, Iranian accusations that Washington violated the interim agreement by ending oil-sale waivers, and U.S. demands tied to Iran's nuclear program.

Reuters reported separately that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi traveled to Oman for talks on maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz. The United States is seeking a public Iranian pledge that the waterway will remain open after recent attacks on commercial vessels and retaliatory strikes by both sides.

The assassination warning raises additional questions about command authority, proportionality and escalation control. A standing U.S. threat to strike Iran if Trump is targeted could shape Iranian decision-making, but it could also complicate diplomatic efforts by adding a new trigger point to an already unstable conflict.

The immediate questions are whether Iran responds directly to Trump's warning, whether mediators can keep nuclear and maritime talks alive, and whether U.S. officials clarify how any retaliatory order would be reviewed before action. Until then, the assassination-threat issue adds another layer of volatility to the U.S.-Iran crisis.

Fact-check date: 11 July 2026
Article type: News
Sources: Reuters, Associated Press