‘I’m No. 1 on their kill list’: Trump claims Iran is plotting to assassinate him, says he ‘may be gone too’

Speaking to reporters after the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, Trump said he could face the same fate as many of Iran’s former leaders who were killed during the conflict.

Trump’s comments came as the relationship between the United States and Iran continues to break down. The US launched a fresh round of strikes on Iran on July 7 and also cancelled the country’s licence to sell oil. Washington said the move was in response to attacks on ships near the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran later hit US military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait. The latest exchange of attacks has placed a preliminary peace agreement signed last month under serious pressure.

Trump says Iran wants to kill him 

“They had leaders, they’re gone, and they had another set of leaders, they’re gone. Now they have another set of leaders, they may be gone. Who knows? And you know what, I may be gone too, because I’m their No. 1 target,” Trump said.

He then added, “I’m the No. 1, because they’re s***. That’s the way they act, and that’s the way they’ve done it for 47 years, but I’m doing what’s right for the country.”

Trump made the remarks as global oil prices continued to rise and the ceasefire deal between Washington and Tehran fell apart.

Just before speaking about the assassination threat, Trump described Iran’s current leadership as “a little loco” and “a little crazy.”  At the same time, he also said that his team had worked with “great people” from the Iranian side during the negotiations that led to the ceasefire agreement, even though he now appears to have walked away from that deal.

Trump also suggested that Iran’s current leaders were more reasonable than the country’s previous leadership, much of which was killed during the opening days of the war.  “Level one is gone, level two is gone. This is level three. I think they are more rational,” he said.

However, he quickly changed his tone and said their recent actions did not seem rational.

“I think they are more rational, but based on their actions over the last week or two, they’re not doing a service to the people,” Trump said, referring to Iran’s attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz that led to fresh US airstrikes and new warnings from Washington that the conflict could grow even bigger.

Trump made the remarks after a reporter asked why he was not using a new presidential aircraft gifted by Qatar to leave the NATO summit. The reporter also asked whether changing planes was linked to security concerns involving Iran.

Instead of directly answering the question, Trump said the life of an American president is always dangerous. “I speak about it a lot because the life of a president is very dangerous,” he said.

Earlier that day, Trump had written on social media that the new Air Force One had been sent ahead to RAF Mildenhall in the United Kingdom “to give them a chance to tour the Aircraft,” while he would leave Turkey on an older plane.

‘The presidency is a very dangerous profession’

When asked why he spoke openly about the assassination threat, Trump said being the US president comes with constant danger.

“I don’t really care, because I’m doing my job, and I’m doing it. I hope better than anybody’s ever done it, because we have a country that’s hot and really, really successful,” he said.

Trump ended the conversation with a lighter comment, saying there was one list on which he would rather be ranked first.

“I like being No. 1 on TikTok better,” he said. “But I’m No. 1 on the list for killing.”

‘I think ceasefire is over’

After the exchange of strikes between the US and Iran, Trump said on July 8 that he now believes the ceasefire is over. “To me, I think it’s over. I don’t want to deal with them,” he said.

Trump also used harsh words to describe Iran’s leaders, calling them “sick people,” and “cuckoo.” He added that the US could carry out more military strikes against Iran.

Only weeks ago, Trump had spoken positively about Iran’s new leadership. He had described them as “more rational, very smart” and had expressed hope that the peace agreement would work. 

When reporters asked what had changed, Trump replied, “I got to know them.”

Earlier in the conflict, the United States targeted Iran’s leadership, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Iran’s new leadership later held a funeral for Khamenei that was attended by large crowds.

Threats against Trump date back to 2019 

According to the report from CNN, Iranian leaders have wanted to assassinate Trump and several former senior US officials since late 2019. The threats began after Trump ordered the drone strike that killed Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Because of those threats, security around Trump was tightened during the 2024 presidential campaign. Instead of using his own Boeing 757, known as “Trump Force One,” Trump travelled on an unmarked private jet owned by his friend and future peace envoy, Steve Witkoff.

At the time, the US Secret Service and intelligence agencies believed Iran could have operatives inside the United States who might have access to portable surface-to-air missiles. 

Several former Trump officials, including John Bolton and Mike Pompeo, were given Secret Service protection for years because of threats linked to the killing of Soleimani.

However, after returning to the White House, Trump ended that protection because both men had publicly criticised him while he was out of office.

In March, a federal jury in New York found Iranian operative Asif Merchant guilty on murder-for-hire and terrorism charges for his role in an Iranian-backed plan to assassinate Trump during the 2024 election campaign.

According to the US Department of Justice, Merchant admitted that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had arranged for him to travel to the United States to organise Trump’s assassination.