US President Donald Trump has said he left standing instructions for a massive military response if Iran were to assassinate him, citing longstanding threats following the 2020 killing of Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani.
In an interview with the New York Post published on Friday, Trump said Iran had viewed him as a target for years because of his decision to order the drone strike that killed Soleimani in Iraq.
«”I’ve been on their list for a long time. That’s what we’re dealing with,” Trump said.»
He added that he had prepared contingency instructions in the event of his death.
«”The only thing is, I’ve left instructions — if anything happens, to just literally bomb them at levels that they’ve never seen before,” he said.»
Trump also remarked, “I hope you’ll miss me,” while reiterating that Tehran had wanted him dead for years.
His comments came after media reports said banners calling for Trump’s assassination were displayed during funeral ceremonies for Iran’s slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. They also followed a Wall Street Journal report claiming Israel had recently shared intelligence with Washington about an alleged new Iranian plot to kill the US president. Trump, however, said Israel had “come up with nothing” new and maintained that the threat had remained unchanged.