Trump says he left Instructions to bomb Iran 'at levels never seen before' if assassinated

Jul 10, 2026

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.