Iran, which is witnessing widespread protests calling for the end of the Ayatollah Khamenei's regime, sharply escalated its rhetoric toward the United States on Tuesday, issuing what many viewed as a chilling assassination threat against President Trump as tensions between the two countries continue to mount.
State television aired footage linked to the 2024 attempt on Trump's life in Butler, Pennsylvania, accompanied by a message that translated to, "This time, the bullet won't miss," a broadcast that sent shockwaves well beyond Iran's borders. The threat comes at a volatile moment in U.S.–Iran relations, with Trump weighing a range of military options in response to Tehran's violent crackdown on protesters.
Direct Threat to Trump
A human rights group says more than 3,400 people have been killed by Iranian security forces, while the U.S. has begun evacuating hundreds of troops from its largest base in the Middle East amid concerns Iran could retaliate if strikes are carried out.
This came as Iran's chief justice signaled that authorities plan to move quickly to put detained protesters on trial and carry out executions amid the deadly anti-government demonstrations sweeping the country.
"If we want to do a job, we should do it now. If we want to do something, we have to do it quickly," Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei warned in a video shared by Iranian state television online. "If it becomes late, two months, three months later, it doesn't have the same effect. If we want to do something, we have to do that fast."
The statement came despite a warning from Trump that taking such action could provoke a U.S. military response.
Iran's Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh said that the country is fully prepared to defend itself if it comes under US assault.
Iran Clears Its Intent
The chilling statement came as the brutal regime geared up to carry out its first execution of a protester — 26-year-old Erfan Soltani — on Wednesday. Mohseni-Ejei's remarks were widely seen as a direct act of defiance toward Trump, who had warned that executing demonstrators could prompt a U.S. military response.
Trump struck a hard tone in a televised interview Tuesday night, warning that the United States would respond forcefully if Iran followed through. "We will take very strong action," he said. "If they do such a thing, we will take very strong action."
The protesters, many of whom have risked their lives by taking to the streets, are demanding an end to Khamenei's rule, blaming the theocratic system for years of economic hardship and decline.
Alongside the deadly violence, the crackdown has also led to mass arrests, with more than 18,100 people reportedly taken into custody.
Trump, for his part, said the "endgame" of taking tough action against Tehran would be "to win," suggesting that victory could include a military operation when pressed on what success in Iran would look like.
"We don't want to see what's happening in Iran happen. And you know, if they want to have protests, that's one thing, when they start killing thousands of people, and now you're telling me about hanging — we'll see how that works out for them. It's not going to work out good."
The president hinted that direct U.S. involvement could be imminent after he abruptly ended talks with the Islamic Republic on Tuesday. It marked a sharp escalation following the last time the United States struck Iran during the 12-day conflict, when American forces targeted the country's nuclear facilities.
