President Donald Trump said late Friday that the United States has "1,000 missiles armed, ready, and aimed" at Iran, warning that the country would face a devastating strike if Tehran attempted to have him killed. The statement followed reports that Israel had privately warned Washington about an alleged Iranian plan to assassinate the president.
"There are 1,000 missiles armed, ready, and pointed at the Islamic Republic of Iran, with thousands more to follow immediately, should the Iranian government carry out its threat," Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social.
A one-year standing order
Trump said he has instructed the military to "totally decimate and destroy" targeted areas of Iran if the country''s leadership assassinates him or attempts to do so. He added that the order would remain in effect for one year, "subject to extensions."
The Republican signed off the post with the phrase "Praise be to Allah! President Donald J. Trump." In an earlier interview with the New York Post, he had already claimed to have directed the Pentagon to strike Iran at "levels never seen before" if he were assassinated as part of an Iranian plot.
No evidence of an active plot
In that same interview, however, Trump suggested there was no recent or specific plot against him, even as he maintained that Tehran has viewed him as a target for years.
The warning comes amid a fresh escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran, marked by recent military confrontations and mutual threats that have effectively ended the ceasefire reached last month.
