On Monday, February 3, 2025, President Donald Trump made a significant move against Iran by signing a comprehensive executive order. At the same time, he divulged that he had provided explicit orders for Iran to be “obliterated” if he were to be assassinated, thus intensifying the strain between the two countries.
During the signing event at the White House, Trump declared, “I’ve left instructions. If they do it, they get obliterated; there won’t be anything left.” His remarks came after the U.S. Justice Department disclosed a foiled Iranian plot to assassinate Trump prior to the 2024 presidential election.
Since Trump’s 2020 command to eliminate Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force, federal authorities have been keeping a vigilant eye on threats from Iran against Trump and other previous administration officials.
The newly signed executive order instructs cabinet secretaries to initiate a variety of measures against Iran. These measures include implementing additional sanctions, amending existing sanctions waivers, and imposing restrictions on the transfer of technology that may have military applications.
Will Scharf, Trump’s senior policy adviser, elaborated that the directive is intended to apply maximum pressure on Iran through targeted sanctions and rigorous oversight of its activities. The primary goal, he underscored, is to restrain Iran’s nuclear aspirations and curtail its financial and logistical support to terrorist groups.
The Biden administration has been closely monitoring potential threats during its term. Senior U.S. officials have been in direct contact with Iranian leaders to address worries. An official from the White House privy to these communications pointed out that any attempt to target or harm a U.S. citizen, including former government officials, would trigger immediate and severe consequences from the United States.
Trump’s emergency plan is similar to the United Kingdom’s “letters of last resort,” secret directives provided to British nuclear submarine commanders in the event of a severe attack on the country. Military analysts propose that such actions are meant to deter potential assailants.
Iranian authorities were quick to respond to Trump’s warning, labeling his comments as “provocative” and asserting their right to take legal action over Soleimani’s killing. The Justice Department has recorded several suspected Iranian conspiracies against U.S. officials, including a plot from November 2022 involving an Iranian named Farhad Shakeri.
The executive order directs the Treasury Department to establish new enforcement mechanisms targeting Iran’s financial networks. It also mandates the State Department to strive towards bringing Iran’s oil exports to zero via diplomatic means and sanctions.
According to officials from the Trump campaign, U.S. intelligence services have pinpointed what are described as “real and specific threats” from Iran. In July 2023, Trump survived an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania, although investigators have not connected the incident to Iran.
