President Donald Trump has suggested he left standing orders for the US military to destroy Iran at unprecedented levels if Tehran follows through on its long-standing threats to kill him. However, the US government has no mechanism for an automatic preauthorized dead man's switch that would trigger immediate retaliation. Instead, constitutional succession dictates that Vice President JD Vance would instantly become commander in chief and hold the authority to decide on any response.
Constitutional Succession and Retaliation Authority
Under the 25th Amendment and the Presidential Succession Act of 1947, if Trump were killed, Vance would immediately assume the role of commander in chief. While Vance could follow Trump's stated wishes, he might also choose a different course of action. Garrett M. Graff, author of Raven Rock: The Story of the US Government's Secret Plan to Save Itself, noted that the United States has never utilized a technical dead man's switch for a variety of reasons.
The US does have extensive contingency plans for continuity of government in the event of a nuclear attack or major catastrophe, but these plans do not allow for launching retaliatory strikes automatically upon the death of a president, even if that president had demanded the military be ready to do so.
Trump's Social Media Post and Iranian Threats
Trump posted on his social media website Saturday that Iran had made threats to assassinate or attempt to assassinate him. He stated that 1,000 missiles are locked and loaded and aimed at the Islamic Republic of Iran, with thousands more to follow immediately should the Iranian government act on its threat.
Iran's supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, responded hours later, saying Iranians would continue to avenge the killing of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who died in the initial US and Israeli strikes that started the war in late February. In remarks aired on state television, Khamenei declared, This revenge is the will of our nation and must certainly be carried out.
White House and Pentagon Responses
The White House did not immediately answer questions about what would become of Trump's military orders should he be killed. During recent funeral events in Iran, mourners repeatedly held posters and banners calling for Trump to be killed along with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Wall Street Journal reported that Israel alerted US officials to fresh Iranian plots to kill Trump. The White House has refused to comment, but Trump referenced such threats during the NATO summit in Turkiye, saying, They want to take out the US leader — me.
Sabrina Singh, former Biden administration deputy Pentagon press secretary, stated that Iran wanting to target senior American leaders is something we know is happening. You have to take these as credible threats, she added.
Previous Assassination Attempts and Security Concerns
Trump was targeted in two domestic assassination attempts during the 2024 presidential campaign and saw a gunman storm the White House Correspondents' Association dinner he attended in April. The president flew part of the way back to Washington from Turkiye this week aboard an older Air Force One jet rather than a new Qatari-gifted aircraft, raising fresh security questions. Images of the newer jet, retrofitted at an estimated cost of $400 million, show it lacks some missile detection and countermeasure systems present on earlier versions.
Asked about Iranian threats, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, I'm No. 1 on their list.
Legal and Historical Context
Graff explained that the US prepared years of plans for how nuclear launch authority would devolve in a surprise attack, including keeping fleets of airborne command posts flying 24 hours a day during the Cold War. What I believe Trump is saying is that he's left standing orders to attack if he's killed, e.g., that the Pentagon should proceed with standard launch protocols, Graff said. There's a lot of reason to doubt the legality of such standing orders, since in the event of a president's death, the nuclear launch authority would immediately pass to the vice president or designated successor.
Trump's post only refers to firing missiles at Iran, which the US has done scores of times since its war with Iran began. He did not expressly threaten nuclear weapons. Graff noted that Trump might also say something to Vance like, If I'm killed, nuke Iran, which would make more sense and would be absolutely legal.
Previous US Warnings to Iran
Washington receiving credible threats against the president and top US leaders from Iran and other foreign adversaries is not uncommon. In 2022, the Biden administration warned Iran against attacking US citizens after the Justice Department disclosed that a member of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had planned to assassinate John Bolton, Trump's first-term national security adviser. President Joe Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan stated that should Iran attack any of our citizens, including those who formerly served, Iran will face severe consequences.
Two years later, during Trump's campaign against Democrat Kamala Harris, the Biden administration again quietly warned Iran, making clear that an attack on Trump would be considered an act of war.
