In February 2025, a full year before Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed, President Donald Trump issued a stark warning regarding potential threats from Tehran. According to CBS 42, Trump had signed an executive order aimed at applying “maximum pressure” on Iran, a measure intended to ensure the United States had all the tools necessary to respond to provocations from the Iranian government. At the time, Trump emphasized that while he hoped such measures would not need to be used extensively, he was prepared to act decisively to protect himself and American interests.

The president expressed his desire for a peaceful resolution, stressing that he wanted all parties to “live together,” but he left no doubt about the consequences in the event of a direct attack on his life. “They haven’t done that, and that would be a terrible thing for them to do. Not because of me — if they did that, they would be obliterated. That would be the end. I’ve left instructions; if they do it, they get obliterated, there won’t be anything left. And, they shouldn’t be able to do it,” Trump said during a discussion on Iran’s growing threats.