Donald Trump outlines devastating response if Iran assassinates him; ‘There will be nothing left’ | World News –

The geopolitical shockwaves following joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran, launched under the name Operation Epic Fury, extended far beyond the battlefield, raising questions about retaliation, succession and presidential security following the confirmed death of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. On Saturday, February 28, 2026, the United States and Israel launched what President Donald Trump described as “major combat operations” targeting Iran’s missile and nuclear infrastructure. “We will destroy their missiles and level their missile industry to the ground,” Trump declared in a post on Truth Social. He later stated that the goal was to “ensure that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon.” The raids resulted in significant civilian casualties, including at least 153 people and children killed after a strike hit a school in Minab, culminating in the killing of Khamenei, 86, in missile strikes around Tehran.

In response, Iran launched retaliatory strikes across the region, targeting Israel and Gulf states including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported that at least nine people were killed in an air strike on the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh. Military and civilian sites were bombed, including a US naval base in Bahrain and Dubai International Airport in the UAE. The closure of airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha, major global transport hubs, has left thousands stranded, including British citizens.

Trump warns against assassination threats

Amid fears of further escalation, attention turned to the possibility of the US President being subjected to assassination attempts. A video clip dating back to February 2025, after Khamenei’s death, appeared, showing Trump responding to a question about what would happen if Iran or its affiliated groups, Hamas and Hezbollah, tried to kill him. “This would be a terrible thing for them,” Trump said. “It’s not because of me, if they did that they would be erased…”

This will be the end.” He added that he “left instructions” in the event of such a scenario, and warned that “there will be nothing left” from Iran.

And in a separate interview on NewsNation Katie Pavlich tonightTrump was even more direct: “I have very strict instructions – whatever happens, they will be wiped off the face of this earth.”Iran’s warning from January 2026, issued long before the current conflict escalated, stressed Tehran’s position on direct action against its leadership. Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi, spokesman for the Iranian Armed Forces, said at the time: “Trump knows that if any aggressive hand extends toward our leader, we will not only cut off that hand, but we will set their world on fire,” he added. Adding that this is “not a slogan” and indicating that Tehran will retaliate decisively if its supreme leader is targeted.

“I got him before he got me.”

In a phone call late Sunday with ABC News correspondent Jonathan Karl, Trump put the process in personal terms. “I got him before he got me,” Trump said, referring to Khamenei. “They tried twice,” he said of previous attempts on his life. “Well, I got it first.” According to what was reported by the New York PostTrump also claimed that Saturday’s operation was “so successful that it took out most of the candidates” expected to succeed Khamenei.

“It’s not going to be the person we were thinking about because they’re all dead,” Trump predicted. He acknowledged that the conflict might extend “another four or five weeks” and confirmed that four US military personnel had already been killed. He said: “It is war, and there are victims in war.” Trump also called Khamenei “one of the most evil people in history” and wrote: “This is not only justice for the people of Iran, but for all great Americans, and those people from so many countries around the world, who were killed or maimed by Khamenei and his gang of bloodthirsty thugs.”

Previous assassination plots and alleged ties to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard

Iran has threatened to take revenge on Trump since 2020, after the killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani. In 2024, Trump survived two alleged assassination attempts: a shooting at a rally and a separate armed threat while playing golf in Florida. Months later, US authorities charged Farhad Shakeri, whom the Justice Department described as an “Iranian asset,” in connection with an alleged plot linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard to kill Trump.

According to New York PostAn IRGC official allegedly ordered Shakeri to hunt down and assassinate Trump in the final weeks of the 2024 campaign. A criminal complaint unsealed in Manhattan federal court said Shakeri, who previously served time in US prisons for robbery, told the FBI that an IRGC contact ordered him to develop a plan within seven days to monitor and kill Trump. If he fails to meet the deadline, the strike will be postponed because it will be easier to kill Trump if he loses the election. Iran denied its involvement in any plots to assassinate him. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu previously claimed in June 2025 that Iran had orchestrated two failed attempts to assassinate Trump. When pressed, Netanyahu said: “Through agents, yes. And through their intelligence, yes. They want to kill him.”

Can Iran strike American territory?

As it stands, Iran is not understood to possess missiles capable of reaching the continental United States. However, this assessment does not eliminate the risks of covert or proxy operations. Security analysts point out that threats to US presidents have historically arisen from individuals or small cells, rather than from overt foreign military strikes. Although there is no absolute protection system, the President of the United States remains among the most protected individuals in the world, with layered air defense, real-time intelligence surveillance, stringent transportation protocols, constant Secret Service protection and rapid military response capabilities. If retaliation occurs, it will likely come through covert channels rather than a direct missile strike.

What happens if a president dies in office?

The constitutional framework for presidential succession is well established. F If a President dies while in office, the presidency shall immediately pass to the Vice President. If such a scenario occurred now, Vice President J.D. Vance would take office. At 41 years old, he will become the youngest US president in history if he is sworn in before August 2026.

Upon taking office, he would appoint a new vice president, subject to approval by both houses of Congress, and would have the power to form his own government.

Eight US presidents have died while in office, and the mechanics of the transition have been widely rehearsed within the White House and the federal government.

Regional escalation and uncertainty

The US-Israeli operation came after weeks of rising tensions and threats of military action unless Iran agrees to a new agreement on its nuclear program.

Iran has repeatedly insisted that its nuclear activities are “completely peaceful.” The Israeli Defense Minister said that the goal of the retaliatory strikes was to “remove threats against the State of Israel.” The coming weeks now depend on whether the confrontation will stabilize or expand further. Trump indicated his willingness to continue military participation, while warning that any attempt on his life would lead to complete destruction. In his own words: “If anything happens, they will wipe him off the face of this earth.”