US President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to Iran, threatening to "completely decimate and destroy all areas of Iran" if any assassination attempt is made against him. This comes as Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, declared that avenging his slain predecessor—his father—is a national demand that "must certainly" be carried out.
Khamenei's statement, posted on Telegram following a week of funeral processions that drew over 15 million mourners in Iran and Iraq, explicitly vowed retaliation against those responsible for the deaths of his father and other martyrs. Banners and chants calling for Trump's death were widespread during the events.
On his Truth Social platform, Trump boasted that "1000 Missiles are Locked and Loaded" and aimed at Iran, with orders given for a year-long campaign—subject to extension—to destroy the country. He bizarrely appended "PRAISE BE TO ALLAH" to his post.
The heightened rhetoric follows Israeli intelligence warnings about a specific Iranian plot to assassinate Trump, prompting the US Secret Service to reportedly change his aircraft during a recent NATO summit in Turkiye. Iran has pledged revenge since the 2020 US drone strike that killed General Qassem Soleimani.
Despite the fiery threats, diplomatic channels remain open. Trump acknowledged that Iran has requested continued talks, though he declared the ceasefire "OVER" after Iranian attacks on tankers near the Strait of Hormuz triggered US airstrikes and retaliatory missile strikes. Iran's lead negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, insisted Tehran would never surrender and remains prepared for "full-scale defence" if the US abandons the Pakistani-brokered understanding.
Qatari mediators shuttled to Tehran, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi arrived in Oman for talks on safe passage through the strategic waterway. US negotiators—including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner—were expected to meet Araqchi. However, Iranian media later reported that no negotiations would occur until the US retreats from its positions.
A US official told Al Jazeera that Washington remains committed to negotiations despite the attacks. Al Jazeera correspondents on the ground reported a "flurry of diplomatic activity" but deep scepticism from Iranian officials, while US officials insist Iran must agree to nuclear limits and deliver its nuclear material for any deal.