US President Donald Trump has issued a strong warning to Iran, stating that any assassination attempt against him will be met with a devastating military response.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he had ordered the US military to be ready for an immediate response, claiming that "1,000 missiles are aimed at the Islamic Republic of Iran," with thousands more to follow if Tehran took action against the US president.
"Orders have already been given and the US military is fully prepared to strike Iran if the threats become a reality," Trump wrote.
The warning comes after the Wall Street Journal reported that Israel has shared intelligence with US authorities that Iran is considering a plot to assassinate Trump. Tehran continues to view revenge for the killing of former Revolutionary Guard commander Qassem Soleimani as an open target, according to reports.
At the same time, Axios reports that the Trump administration has sent Iran a diplomatic ultimatum. According to three US officials, Washington wants Tehran to publicly declare that the Strait of Hormuz will remain open to international shipping and commit to stopping attacks on commercial shipping.
The message was conveyed both directly and through regional intermediaries.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Omani counterpart, Sayyed Badr al-Busaidi, are expected to hold a meeting in Muscat to discuss the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz and the next steps in the negotiations.
According to Axios, Oman has been working with the US and Gulf allies to open an alternative sea corridor, a development that Iran has seen as weakening its negotiating position.
US officials also claim that Iranian representatives have admitted in the talks that radical elements within the regime have attacked merchant ships to increase pressure on the negotiations. According to one of them, after two days of clashes, the Iranian side has even requested a resumption of dialogue, admitting that it had made a mistake.
Washington expects that after the meeting in Oman, Iran will publicly declare that it will end attacks on ships and that passage through the Strait of Hormuz will remain free, without tariffs or other restrictions.
A US official warned that if Tehran does not make this commitment, "it will not be a good day for them," hinting that the US is ready to take other measures.
