A senior Iranian official has cautioned Donald Trump over a possible assassination attempt, claiming the US president may be targeted by a drone strike while sunbathing at his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago. Javad Larijani, a top advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader, said in an interview on Iranian state TV, "Trump has done something so that he can no longer sunbathe in Mar-a-Lago. As he lies there with his stomach to the sun, a small drone might hit him in the navel. It's very simple."
Larijani, whose brothers are influential figures within Iran's political hierarchy, made these comments following Iran’s defeat in a 12-day war with Israel, during which the US backed Israeli military actions, Iranian media reported.
During the conflict, US forces reportedly struck three Iranian nuclear facilities. Trump, speaking publicly at the time, claimed Washington knew where Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had taken refuge. In response, Iranian clerics have issued calls for Muslims to assassinate both Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing them of plotting to kill Khamenei.
Crowdfunding campaign to assassinate Trump
The threat against Trump was echoed by an online platform calling itself "blood pact", which claims to have raised more than USD 40 million for what it describes as "retribution against those who mock and threaten the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei". The platform has set a fundraising goal of USD 100 million to support efforts to kill Trump. The identity of the group behind the campaign remains unknown, and the authenticity of the claimed fundraising total has not been independently verified, the report said.
Despite this uncertainty, the campaign has received attention in Iranian media. Fars News Agency, affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), reported on the launch of the initiative and called on Islamic groups to protest outside Western embassies and gather in public squares to show support for Khamenei. The outlet also called for the application of moharebeh, "waging war against God", a charge that carries the death penalty in Iran's legal system, against Trump and Netanyahu.
Iranian government's distances itself
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has publicly distanced his administration from the escalating rhetoric. In an interview with US commentator Tucker Carlson, he stated that “the fatwa of warfare has nothing to do with the Iranian government or the Supreme Leader.” However, his efforts to moderate the tone were quickly undermined by Iran’s influential hardline press. Kayhan newspaper, which is managed by a representative of Khamenei, dismissed Pezeshkian’s remarks and reaffirmed support for actions against Trump and Netanyahu.
