President Donald Trump says he’s already made one thing crystal clear behind the scenes: if Iran ever succeeds in killing him, the response has already been planned.
Speaking with The New York Post on Friday, Trump said he has issued standing instructions for what should happen if Tehran carries out the assassination threats that U.S. officials have said have shadowed him for years.
“I’ve been on their list for a long time. That’s what we’re dealing with,” Trump said. “… The only thing is, I’ve left instructions — if anything happens, to just literally bomb them at levels that they’ve never seen before.”
The president made the remarks after being asked about recent reports suggesting Israeli intelligence had warned of a new Iranian plot targeting him. Trump dismissed the notion that there was any newly uncovered assassination plan, saying Iran’s hostility toward him is nothing new.
“No, no. Israel came up with nothing. No, no,” Trump said. “I’ve been No. 1 [on Iran’s kill list] for a long time, and it’s the way life is, you know.”
He then added a moment of dark humor.
“I hope you’ll miss me.”
Iranian officials have publicly vowed revenge against Trump since the January 2020 U.S. strike that killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, a longtime commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force. U.S. officials have repeatedly warned over the years about Iranian-linked threats targeting current and former American officials connected to that operation.
Trump’s comments also come after surviving multiple assassination attempts during the 2024 campaign, including the July 13 shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a gunman’s bullet grazed the president’s ear.
Federal authorities have also disrupted other alleged plots targeting Trump in the years since.
While Trump said Iran has wanted him dead “for a long time,” he indicated Friday there was no new intelligence showing Tehran had launched a fresh assassination operation this week.
More over at The New York Post:
Trump tells The Post he's 'left instructions' should Iran succeed in assassinating him: 'Number 1' target https://t.co/EPjQubEJYx pic.twitter.com/hEEg8enWgW
— New York Post (@nypost) July 10, 2026
