Trump Issues Fresh Threat to Iran After Khamenei Funeral
US President Donald Trump threatened Iran on Saturday, July 11, 2026, following the funeral of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, where mourners openly called for Trump's assassination. The threat, posted on Trump's Truth Social platform, escalates tensions in the Middle East as an interim ceasefire deal frays under repeated crossfire.
Trump wrote: "1000 Missiles are Locked and Loaded and aimed at the Islamic Republic of Iran, with thousands of more to immediately follow, should the Iranian Government act on its threat." He referenced threats "to assassinate, or attempt to assassinate" him, which were echoed at Khamenei's funeral where posters and banners called for his killing alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Strait of Hormuz Dispute Intensifies
The US threat comes as senior US officials demand Iran issue a public statement that the Strait of Hormuz remains open and ships crossing it will not be attacked. Tehran has refused, insisting the strait be under its control and that it be allowed to charge vessels—a move that upends decades of international maritime law considering it an international waterway.
About one-fifth of all traded oil and natural gas passed through the strait before the war. Iran's grip on the waterway during the conflict triggered a global energy crisis, though oil prices have dropped from wartime highs of $120 a barrel. The US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the resumption of strikes this week was sparked by Iran attacking three ships in the strait earlier in the week.
Background of the Conflict
The Iran war began on February 28 with a US airstrike that killed then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86. His funeral, held over several days in Iran and Iraq, only concluded this week. Iran has since installed a new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who insists the theocracy remains unified.
Trump's post also threatened to "completely decimate and destroy all areas of Iran—PRAISE BE TO ALLAH!" He has repeatedly invoked the Arabic phrase for God during the war and ceasefire. The Council on American-Islamic Relations has previously criticized Trump's "deranged mocking of Islam."
US Airstrikes and Retaliatory Attacks
Multiple days of US airstrikes targeted Iran, followed by Iranian retaliatory fire against several Middle Eastern nations. After the US concluded its latest strikes on Thursday, additional attacks hit Iran, with Israel not claiming responsibility, suggesting Gulf Arab states may have launched them to deter further Iranian aggression. Iran retaliated on Thursday by targeting Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, and Qatar.
US officials said Trump is giving negotiators limited time to reach a deal with Iran, but underscored that the president has a wide range of options if talks fail. They described the recent attacks as stemming from a rogue faction of Iranian hard-liners trying to sabotage the ceasefire, though Iran insists its leadership is unified.
Nuclear Program and Diplomatic Efforts
The US officials also stated that any nuclear deal would require Iran to turn over its stockpile of highly enriched uranium—something Iran has repeatedly refused. If no deal is reached, the US has military options to ensure the material remains buried underground forever, though officials did not detail those options. The uranium, enriched to near weapons-grade levels, is believed to be at nuclear sites the US bombed in 2025.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi planned to discuss the strait with his Omani counterpart on Saturday in Oman, according to Iran's state-run IRNA news agency. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan expressed belief that a solution could be reached this weekend. However, Araghchi accused the US of violating the interim deal by ending waivers allowing Iran to sell crude oil in US dollars, writing on X: "Reality check: There can only be mutual compliance."
The US continues to urge mariners to use a southern route through Oman's territorial waters to avoid Iranian waters and the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, a move that has angered Tehran and sparked recent attacks.
