Iranian TV broadcasts chilling assassination threat targeting Trump, 'this time bullet won't miss'
Iranian state television has escalated tensions with Washington by broadcasting a stark threat against US President Donald Trump, airing an image from the 2024 assassination attempt on him and warning: “This time it (the bullet) will not miss the target.”
The message appeared alongside a photo of Trump at his July 2024 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where he was grazed by a bullet fired by gunman Thomas Crooks. The broadcast, first reported by AFP and the New York Post, was widely circulated on social media and quickly heightened concern over the increasingly volatile standoff between the two countries.
The provocative display came as Trump weighs potential military strikes on Iran, while Tehran accuses the United States of using domestic unrest as a pretext for intervention.
Escalating rhetoric amid mounting hostilities
The Iranian broadcast was one of the most explicit threats aired by state media in recent years. Screens showed the Butler rally image paired with the ominous Persian-language warning, drawing international attention and fuelling fears of further escalation.
Iranian officials have repeatedly condemned what they describe as Washington’s attempts to exploit nationwide protests and Iran’s spiralling economic crisis to justify military action. The unrest, triggered in December after the rial collapsed to record lows, has spread across the country despite heavy crackdowns.
Trump has taken an increasingly confrontational tone. In a recent post on Truth Social, he accused Iran of routinely killing peaceful demonstrators, adding: “If Iran kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and ready to go.”
UK embassy shutters as regional tensions intensify
As fears of a wider conflict grow, the UK has temporarily closed its embassy in Tehran and evacuated its diplomatic staff, citing a deteriorating security environment. The move followed the United States’ decision to pull some personnel from the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar–its largest military installation in the Middle East.
The closures come amid reports that Washington has repositioned forces across the region. Iranian media referenced Tehran’s retaliatory strike in June 2025 on the same Qatari base, underscoring the heightened risk of military confrontation.
Despite the mounting alarm, no official reaction has yet emerged from Iranian authorities regarding the state TV broadcast.
Trump threatens ‘very strong action’
Speaking to CBS News on Tuesday, Trump again warned that the United States would respond forcefully if Iran escalated its repression of protesters.
“We will take very strong action if they do such a thing,” Trump said, referring to reports of mass executions. “When they start killing thousands of people – and now you’re telling me about hanging – we’ll see how that’s going to work out for them.”
Iranian officials dismissed the remarks, accusing Washington of manufacturing justification for air strikes. Witnesses returning from Tehran reported a heavy security presence and repeated clashes between demonstrators and police.
The protests have taken a severe toll: the Human Rights Activists News Agency estimates that more than 2,600 people have been killed and over 18,400 detained since unrest began. Iranian authorities on Wednesday held a mass funeral for 100 security personnel killed during the turmoil.
Secret diplomacy and covert communications
Adding to the intrigue, Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff reportedly held an unpublicised meeting over the weekend with exiled Iranian crown prince Reza Pahlavi to discuss the spiralling protests. Pahlavi did not confirm the meeting but released a video with US Senator Lindsey Graham, a close Trump ally. Tehran has accused the US and Israel of orchestrating the protests.
On 14 January, Trump again posted on Truth Social, declaring that “help is on its way” and urging Americans to “take a note of all killers and abusers,” vowing they would pay a “big price.”
Meanwhile, HRANA has reported 1,850 protester deaths–lower than its earlier broader assessment–amid suggestions that Iran has temporarily halted planned executions. Foreign Minister Abbas Aragachi insisted that authorities “never planned to hang the protesters.”
An extensive internet blackout remains in place across Iran, but Starlink, operated by Elon Musk, has provided limited connectivity to some groups inside the country.
(With inputs from IANS)