US President Donald Trump has warned Iran that any attempt to assassinate him would trigger an overwhelming US military response.
In a statement posted on his Truth Social platform on Friday, the president said he had instructed the US military to be prepared for immediate retaliation if Tehran acted against him.
Trump wrote that "1000 Missiles are Locked and Loaded and aimed at the Islamic Republic of Iran", adding that "thousands more" would follow if an assassination attempt were carried out.
He said the warning was in response to what he described as threats made "in many corners of the Globe, to assassinate, or attempt to assassinate, the sitting President of the United States of America, in this case, ME!"
The president also said standing military orders were already in place.
"Orders have already been given, and the US Military is ready, willing, and able," he wrote, adding that US forces were authorised "for a one-year period of time, subject to extension, to completely decimate and destroy all areas of Iran."
The remarks followed reports that Israeli intelligence had shared information with Washington suggesting hardliners in Iran had developed new operational plans targeting the US president. Those reports have not been independently verified.
The latest warning comes against the backdrop of longstanding tensions between Washington and Tehran. Iran has repeatedly vowed to avenge the 2020 US drone strike that killed Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani, although Tehran has consistently denied involvement in direct assassination plots on US soil.
Trump's statement was issued as relations between the United States and Iran remain strained despite a fragile interim ceasefire and continuing diplomatic efforts in the region.
The comments are likely to add further pressure to an already volatile security situation in the Middle East, where concerns over military escalation and regional stability remain high.
