President Donald Trump said he has left instructions for the United States to carry out an unprecedented military response against Iran if he is assassinated. His comments came amid ongoing tensions between Washington and Tehran because of military encounters and claims of an Iranian assassination plot.
Also read: Trump's H-1B fraud probe explained: Why Cognizant was named and what it means for Indian workers
“Bomb them at levels that they’ve never seen before”
The Wall Street Journal reported that Israel had shared intelligence with the United States regarding an alleged Iranian assassination plot targeting Trump. However, Trump disputed that account and said Israel had not provided such intelligence.
“No, no, Israel came up with nothing,” Trump said, adding that he has been Iran’s primary target “for a long time.”
“It’s the way life is, you know,” he added.
Speaking to the New York Post, Trump said he had directed that Iran should face overwhelming retaliation if any attempt on his life succeeds.
“I’ve left instructions, if anything happens, to just literally bomb them at levels that they’ve never seen before,” Trump said.
{{/usCountry}}“I’ve left instructions, if anything happens, to just literally bomb them at levels that they’ve never seen before,” Trump said.
{{/usCountry}}However, constitutional experts have questioned the legal validity of such instructions. According to The New York Times, a US president cannot authorize military action after death because command authority immediately transfers to the sitting successor, who becomes commander in chief.
Iran funeral crowds chant against Trump
Trump's comments also followed highly charged funeral ceremonies for Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was buried on Thursday at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad after several days of nationwide mourning.
During the ceremonies, thousands of mourners chanted anti-American slogans and called for retaliation against Trump. According to reports, some demonstrators shouted, "I swear by the blood of the Supreme Leader, Trump, we will kill you," while others carried placards reading "Kill Trump."
Crowds also repeated the long-standing revolutionary slogan, "Death to America," as processions moved through Iranian cities. Images from the funeral showed banners depicting Trump with a target on his head
Trump repeats earlier warning
This is not the first time Trump has spoken publicly about contingency plans in the event of his assassination. In January 2025, he said Iran would be "obliterated" if it were responsible for killing him.
However, US officials have indicated that technical talks with Iran remain ongoing through diplomatic channels.