President Donald Trump has suggested he left standing orders for the U.S. military to launch a massive strike against Iran if the Tehran government follows through on threats to assassinate him.
Writing on his social media platform, Trump stated:
“1000 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, pronounced 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! Orders have already been given, and the U.S. Military is ready, willing, and able, for a one year period of time, subject to extension, to completely decimate and destroy all areas of Iran – PRAISE BE TO ALLAH! President DONALD J. TRUMP”
However, constitutional and military protocols dictate that a president cannot establish a preauthorized, automatic “dead man’s switch” to trigger immediate military operations after their death. If a sitting president is killed, the transfer of power is governed by the 25th Amendment and the Presidential Succession Act of 1947.
Under these laws, Vice President JD Vance would instantaneously become the commander in chief. It would then rest with Vance to decide whether to execute, alter, or decline to follow his predecessor’s strategic plans.
The White House did not immediately answer questions about what would become of Trump’s military orders should he be killed.
The exchange follows reports that Israel recently alerted U.S. officials to fresh Iranian plots targeting Trump. Trump referenced these threats during a recent NATO summit in Turkey, saying, “They want to take out the U.S. leader — me.” Later, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump noted, “I’m No. 1 on their list.”
Security measures have drawn increased attention amid these developments. Trump flew back from Turkey on an older Air Force One jet rather than a newer, $400 million Qatari-gifted aircraft. Recent images of the newer jet showed it was not equipped with some of the same missile detection and countermeasure systems as earlier versions.
U.S. defense officials have confirmed that the threat environment remains elevated. “Iran wanting to target senior American leaders is something that we know is happening,” said Sabrina Singh, former Biden administration deputy Pentagon press secretary. “You have to take these as credible threats.”
Hours after Trump’s social media post, Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, spoke on state television, vowing that Iranians would continue to avenge the killing of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The elder Khamenei died during the initial U.S. and Israeli strikes that started the war in late February. During recent funeral events in Iran, mourners carried posters calling for Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be killed.
“We pledge to take revenge for the pure blood of you and all the martyrs of these two wars from the criminal and disgraceful killers,” Mojtaba Khamenei said. “This revenge is the will of our nation and must certainly be carried out.”
While public disclosures of specific military directives are unusual, the U.S. government has tracked Iranian threats against domestic officials for years. In 2022, the Biden administration warned Iran against attacking U.S. citizens following a Justice Department disclosure that a member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had planned to assassinate John Bolton, Trump’s former national security adviser.
At the time, national security adviser Jake Sullivan stated that “should Iran attack any of our citizens… Iran will face severe consequences.” In late 2024, the Biden administration quietly warned Tehran again, making clear that an attack on Trump would be considered an act of war.
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