On July 10, 2026, President Donald Trump revealed he left instructions to launch unprecedented bombing campaigns against Iran if he is assassinated. The statement follows heightened tensions, including the collapse of a ceasefire and recent U.S.-Israel airstrikes that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. While Trump dismissed reports of a new Israeli-flagged assassination plot, security measures were intensified during his return from the NATO summit. Experts note that post-death military instructions are not legally binding.
Trump retaliation instructions against Iran
- ▪Donald Trump stated on July 10, 2026, that he left instructions to bomb Iran at unprecedented levels if he is assassinated
- ▪National security experts cited by the New York Times stated that a president cannot legally leave binding instructions for military action after their death
- ▪Donald Trump previously stated in early 2025 that Iran would be "obliterated" and "there won't be anything left" if he were assassinated
Iranian assassination plots against Trump
- ▪Reports indicated Israel shared intelligence with the United States in July 2026 regarding a new Iranian plot to assassinate Donald Trump, which Trump publicly disputed
- ▪U.S. prosecutors indicted Pakistani national Asif Raza Merchant in August 2024 for an alleged Iranian-linked murder-for-hire plot targeting U.S. officials
- ▪In November 2025, federal prosecutors accused fugitive Iranian operative Farhad Shakeri of plotting to assassinate Donald Trump
Qassem Soleimani killing aftermath
- ▪Iran's public pursuit of Donald Trump's assassination began after a Trump-authorized 2020 airstrike killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani
- ▪Mourners at the July 2026 funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran held banners reading "WE WILL KILL TRUMP" and chanted calls for his death
U.S.-Israel war in Iran
- ▪Donald Trump authorized joint U.S.-Israel airstrikes earlier in 2026 that killed multiple Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
- ▪Donald Trump announced in July 2026 that a ceasefire with Iran was over due to Iranian attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz
NATO summit security measures
- ▪During his return flight from the NATO summit in July 2026, reporters on Air Force One were instructed to close their window blinds due to security concerns
- ▪Donald Trump switched to an older Boeing 747-200 Air Force One for part of his return from the July 2026 NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, due to security concerns
Iranian government denials
- ▪Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei stated in January 2026 that assassination allegations were an Israeli plot to complicate U.S.-Iran relations
- ▪In January 2026, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian denied that Iran had ever attempted or planned to assassinate Donald Trump
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