President Donald Trump and Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei are locked in a war of words, with both sides issuing stark threats while Washington and Tehran tell very different stories about the state of their diplomatic relationship — and remain sharply divided over control of a key waterway.
In a late Friday post on Truth Social, Trump declared that the United States has 1,000 missiles pointed at Iran and that a massive military response would follow if Tehran carries out — or even attempts — any plot to kill him. “1000 Missiles are Locked and Loaded and aimed at the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Trump wrote, warning that thousands more could “immediately follow” if Iran tries to assassinate the sitting U.S. president, adding, “in this case, ME!”
Trump also stated that the U.S. military was “ready, willing, and able” for up to one year — with the possibility of extension — to “completely decimate and destroy all areas of Iran — PRAISE BE TO ALLAH!”
Earlier this week, The Wall Street Journal and other American news outlets reported that Israel had passed along intelligence about an alleged Iranian plan to assassinate the president.
On the Iranian side, Khamenei vowed revenge for those who died in military conflict, including his father, Ali Khamenei. A message issued on his behalf stated: “Tehran is committed to avenging your blood (his father Ali Khamenei) and the blood of all those killed in the two wars. This revenge is the will of our nation and it must be done soon.”
Amid these threats, Trump claimed Iran’s leadership had reached out to restart diplomatic discussions, even though he had previously declared that a Washington-Tehran memorandum of understanding was finished. “The Islamic Republic of Iran has asked us to continue ‘talks.’ We have agreed to do so, but the United States has stated to them, in no uncertain terms, that the Cease Fire is OVER!” Trump wrote Friday.
Iran flatly rejected that account. The Iranian news agency Fars cited a source close to the country’s negotiating team who said talks would not happen “until the American side backs down from its positions.” Iran’s state broadcaster added that Tehran would not return to the table due to what it described as U.S. noncompliance with the Islamabad memorandum of understanding.
The dispute also extends to the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that typically carries roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply. Senior U.S. officials said Friday that Washington is demanding Iran publicly commit to halting attacks on ships in the strait and allow free, unrestricted passage through all shipping lanes. Iran has refused to give up its grip on the waterway.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi traveled to Oman to meet with his Omani counterpart, Badr al-Busaidi, to discuss how ships could move through the strait under the terms of the memorandum of understanding.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also held a conversation with Trump covering the U.S.-Iran talks, security in the waterway, and broader regional stability, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
