US President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to Tehran, threatening to “completely decimate and destroy all areas of Iran” should any assassination attempt be made against him. The statement, posted on his Truth Social account, comes just a day after he agreed to continue negotiations with the Islamic Republic.
“1,000 missiles are locked and loaded and aimed at the Islamic Republic of Iran, with thousands of more to immediately follow, should the Iranian government act on its threat,” Trump wrote. He signed off with the phrase “praise be to Allah,” a signature he also used in a similar threat last April.
The warning follows funeral ceremonies for former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who died at the outbreak of the US-Iran conflict in February. During the processions in Tehran, mourners carried signs calling for the deaths of Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Ceasefire in Jeopardy
On Friday, Trump said he had agreed to continue talks with Iran but reiterated that the ceasefire outlined in the June “memorandum of understanding” (MoU) was over. Under the provisional agreement, Washington and Tehran had pledged to cease hostilities: the US would lift its naval blockade of Iran, while Tehran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and reaffirm that it “shall not procure or develop nuclear weapons.” The MoU gave both sides 60 days to reach a final deal.
However, a series of retaliatory strikes this week has threatened to derail those efforts. US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that its forces had launched fresh strikes against Iranian air defence and other military targets on Tuesday and Wednesday, hitting around 170 targets. In response, Iran attacked US military bases in Bahrain and Kuwait.
The exchange of fire is rooted in a continued dispute over the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global oil and gas transit. Iran effectively closed the waterway after the war began in February, sparking chaos in energy markets and prompting further US military action. A British maritime agency reported multiple strikes on tankers transiting the strait this week.
Iran Accuses US of Violating Deal
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, insisted on Saturday that Tehran had “kept its word” on the ceasefire. “Iran has so far kept its word, unlike the so-called US Treasury Secretary who is violating Para 9 of the MoU,” he wrote on social media. The US Treasury had announced new sanctions against an Iranian financier and exchange houses on Friday.
Paragraph nine of the MoU states that, pending a final deal, Iran will “maintain the current status quo of its nuclear program” and that the US “will not impose any new sanctions” or “deploy additional forces in the region.” Araghchi added: “That violation follows other violations and missteps by the United States. Reality check: There can only be mutual compliance.”
Araghchi is set to arrive in Oman on Saturday for talks on the strait, according to Iran’s official IRNA news agency. Meanwhile, Qatar has blamed Iran for a strike on a Qatari vessel in the strait, with foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari calling it an “unacceptable attack on the security & safety of international maritime navigation.” Doha holds Tehran “fully legally responsible,” though Iran denies the claim.
The escalating tensions have broader implications for Europe, which relies heavily on the Strait of Hormuz for energy imports. The crisis also tests NATO’s cohesion, as allies grapple with Trump’s unilateral approach to Iran and the ongoing war in Ukraine. For more on the alliance’s internal strains, see NATO's Cohesion Tested by Trump, Ukraine War, and Internal Strains. The situation further complicates European efforts to maintain stability in the Middle East, as highlighted by Trump's Iran Strikes Overshadow NATO Summit as Allies Pledge Record Spending.
