The US administration reportedly employed an elaborate ruse last month to move Donald Trump off Air Force One in Turkey. This action suggests a credible Iranian assassination threat, which has surprised many in Washington, including Trump aides and journalists who remained on the jet.
Experts, including Colin P Clarke from The Soufan Center, have stated that the unusual measures taken to protect the president, potentially leaving others at risk, were "not a good look" and could make him appear "weak." Threats against Trump reportedly predate the current conflict, stemming from decisions during his first administration, such as approving the strike that killed Qassem Suleimani.
US officials have accused Iran for years of seeking to assassinate Trump. In 2024, Manhattan federal prosecutors alleged the Iranian government ordered an operative to kill Trump. More recently, in July 2026, Israel reportedly shared intelligence with the US indicating a new Iranian plan to kill Trump.
Bruce Hoffman, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, noted that Iran takes revenge seriously and views humiliation as a form of it. He suggested that Iran's apparent determination to create a credible threat against Trump signals that Tehran is politically ready to escalate the conflict in pursuit of revenge.