US-Iran Tensions Escalate: Trump Threatens 'Destroy All Areas of Iran', New Supreme Leader Vows Revenge
United States President Donald Trump has warned that he will order devastating military strikes against Iran if Tehran attempts to assassinate him. In a series of posts on his social media platform, Trump stated that 1,000 missiles are aimed at Iran and thousands more are ready, should the Iranian government act on what he described as threats to assassinate the sitting US president.
Trump's remarks were made public on Saturday, hours after Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, vowed to avenge the killing of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who died in US-Israeli strikes earlier this year. Speaking on Iranian state television, Mojtaba said, 'The revenge for my father's blood is the will of our nation and must certainly be carried out.'
The exchange marks a significant escalation in already strained relations between the two countries. It comes as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi travelled to Oman for talks aimed at salvaging negotiations after a week of renewed hostilities over the Strait of Hormuz. The United States has demanded that Iran publicly commit to keeping the strategic waterway open to commercial shipping and stop attacks on vessels, warning of consequences if it refuses.
The renewed rhetoric follows days of US airstrikes on Iranian targets and Iranian retaliatory attacks on Gulf states after Tehran targeted commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump had previously declared the US-Iran ceasefire 'over' but left the door open for further negotiations.
During Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's funeral earlier this week, mourners carried banners calling for the deaths of Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. US media reported that Israel had shared intelligence with Washington alleging Iran had recently discussed a possible assassination plot targeting Trump.
The situation remains tense, with both sides threatening military action while mediators in Oman and Qatar continue efforts to de-escalate. The competing demands—Iran seeking sanctions relief and control over the Strait of Hormuz, and the US demanding free passage and an end to attacks—have yet to be resolved.
