• Iranian state television broadcast a direct assassination threat against President Donald Trump using imagery from his 2024 Pennsylvania rally shooting
• The warning came as Trump threatened military strikes against Iran if the regime executes protesters amid a deadly crackdown that has killed over 2,400 demonstrators
• U.S. forces evacuated from Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar as Pentagon prepares for potential military action and Iranian retaliation

TEHRAN, IRAN (TDR) — Iranian state television issued a chilling assassination threat against President Donald Trump Wednesday, broadcasting an image from his 2024 attempted assassination alongside a warning that “this time, the bullet won’t miss,” marking what analysts describe as Tehran’s most direct threat against the American president.

The provocative broadcast showed Trump surrounded by Secret Service agents moments after he was shot at a July 2024 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where he survived an assassination attempt that left him with a grazed ear. The image was displayed during a pro-government rally in Tehran as thousands chanted “Death to America,” according to international media reports.

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The threat comes amid rapidly escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran as Trump weighs military action in response to Iran’s brutal crackdown on nationwide anti-government protests that have left thousands dead and tens of thousands arrested.

Trump Warns of Military Strikes Over Protester Killings

President Trump has issued increasingly forceful warnings to Iranian leaders as the death toll from the regime’s crackdown continues to mount. Speaking to CBS News Tuesday, Trump warned Iran against executing detained protesters.

“If they do such a thing, we will take very strong action,” Trump said, without specifying what form that action would take. “It’s not going to work out good.”

The president told reporters Wednesday that he had been informed the killings in Iran were “stopping” and that there were no immediate plans for executions, though he cautioned that his administration would monitor the situation closely.

“It’s stopped. It’s stopping, and there’s no plan for executions, or an execution, or executions. So I’ve been told that a good authority will find out about it. I’m sure if it happens, we’ll all be very upset,” Trump stated at a White House bill signing ceremony.

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Trump had earlier canceled all meetings with Iranian officials until what he described as the “senseless killing of protesters” ends. In a Truth Social post Tuesday, the president encouraged Iranian demonstrators to continue their resistance.

“Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING – TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!! Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price,” Trump wrote. “HELP IS ON ITS WAY.”

Death Toll Surpasses 2,400 as Regime Intensifies Crackdown

The Human Rights Activists News Agency, a U.S.-based monitoring group with extensive networks inside Iran, documented at least 2,403 deaths among protesters as of Tuesday, with over 18,000 people arrested since demonstrations began in late December. The protests erupted initially over economic grievances after Iran’s currency collapsed to record lows but quickly evolved into broader calls to end Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s rule.

Rights groups estimate the actual death toll could be significantly higher, with some activists citing medical data suggesting as many as 12,000 people may have been killed between Jan. 8-9 alone, though these figures remain contested due to a nationwide internet blackout imposed by authorities.

Iranian authorities have framed the anti-government demonstrations as terrorist operations orchestrated by foreign powers. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Fox News Wednesday that suggestions of thousands of deaths represented a “misinformation campaign” and insisted the actual number was in the hundreds.

“For 10 days, protests in the country were peaceful, after which we had a completely different story: a terrorist operation,” Araghchi claimed. “Terrorist elements lead from outside had shot police, security forces and civilians.”

However, verified videos and eyewitness testimony contradict the regime’s narrative. Amnesty International said “mass unlawful killings” are being committed on an “unprecedented scale” amid the ongoing crackdown and internet shutdown.

A health worker at a Tehran hospital told BBC Persian that protesters were arriving with gunshot wounds to the head and chest. Geolocated footage from a morgue in Kahrizak south of Tehran showed bodies wrapped in black mortuary bags on the ground outside as grieving relatives searched among them for loved ones.

U.S. Evacuates Forces From Qatar Base Amid Strike Preparations

The United States began evacuating hundreds of troops from Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar this week, moving personnel to other facilities and hotels in the region ahead of potential military action against Iran, according to U.S. officials and a person familiar with the matter.

The Qatari government confirmed the withdrawal in a statement, saying personnel were being removed “in response to the current regional tensions” and that it would take “all necessary measures to safeguard the security and safety of its citizens and residents as a top priority.”

The evacuation mirrors a similar operation conducted in June when Trump ordered strikes on Iranian nuclear enrichment sites during Israel’s 12-day war with the Islamic Republic. Iran retaliated by launching missiles at Al Udeid, though no casualties resulted from that attack.

“All the signals are that a U.S. attack is imminent, but that is also how this administration behaves to keep everyone on their toes. Unpredictability is part of the strategy,” a Western military official told Reuters Wednesday.

The U.K. Foreign Office announced Wednesday it has temporarily closed the British Embassy in Tehran, which will now operate remotely. The U.S. Mission to Saudi Arabia advised personnel and American citizens to “exercise increased caution and limit non-essential travel to any military installations in the region.”

Iranian Officials Threaten Regional U.S. Military Targets

Senior Iranian officials have issued stark warnings that American military bases throughout the Middle East would become “legitimate targets” if the United States intervenes militarily in support of protesters.

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said in remarks aired on Iranian state television that U.S. military and maritime centers could be targeted if strikes proceed.

“U.S. military and maritime centers will be our legitimate targets,” Qalibaf stated, adding that Iran does not limit itself “to only reacting after an action has been taken.”

Ali Shamkhani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, posted on social media that Trump should “mention the plowing of the American Al Udeid base by Iranian missiles” to create “a real understanding of Iran’s will and capability to respond to any aggression.”

When asked how the United States would react if Iran struck American military bases, Trump responded forcefully.

“We will hit them at levels that they’ve never been hit before,” the president warned.

Threat Rooted in Soleimani Assassination Vow

Iranian officials and state media have repeatedly issued threats toward Trump since the January 2020 U.S. drone strike that killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the powerful commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force. Trump ordered the strike near Baghdad International Airport, saying Soleimani was “actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members.”

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other Iranian officials have repeatedly vowed “harsh revenge” for Soleimani’s death, with Tehran’s leadership framing such statements as part of its pledge to avenge the killing.

“We have not and will not forget the blood of martyr Soleimani. The Americans must know that revenge for martyr Soleimani’s blood is certain, and the murderers and perpetrators will have no easy sleep,” President Ebrahim Raisi stated at a 2023 commemoration.

U.S. officials revealed in November 2024 that they had charged an Iranian national, Farhad Shakeri, with plotting to assassinate Trump as revenge for Soleimani’s killing. The Justice Department said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps tasked Shakeri with surveilling and killing Trump before the 2024 election.

“There are few actors in the world that pose as grave a threat to the national security of the United States as does Iran,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in announcing those charges. “The Justice Department has charged an asset of the Iranian regime who was tasked by the regime to direct a network of criminal associates to further Iran’s assassination plots against its targets, including President-elect Donald J. Trump.”

Administration Weighs Range of Military Options

Trump outlined for his national security team Tuesday what he wants any U.S. military action in Iran to achieve, and the Defense Department has now tailored options to meet his military objectives, according to U.S. officials. Vice President JD Vance led an Iran strategy meeting Tuesday afternoon with the National Security Council principals committee.

Options under consideration range from military strikes targeting Iran’s security services being used to suppress protests, to cyber weapons, new sanctions against key regime figures or Iran’s energy and banking sectors, to providing direct support to protesters. The president has not yet made a final decision on intervention, officials said.

“The president is always keeping all of his options on the table and air strikes would be one of the many, many options on the table for the commander in chief,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Monday. “Diplomacy is always the first option for the president.”

However, there are concerns inside the administration that military strikes could backfire and undermine the protests. Officials worry strikes could have the unintended effect of rallying the Iranian people to support the government or lead Iran to retaliate with military force of its own.

Protester Facing Execution Becomes International Focus

Erfan Soltani, a 26-year-old Iranian protester, was reported by the U.S. State Department and rights groups as the first protester sentenced to execution amid the current wave of unrest. Soltani’s case has become a focus for international campaigners, including Amnesty International, which called for an immediate halt to all executions linked to the protests.

Iran’s judiciary chief appeared on state television warning that those accused of committing violent crimes would be prosecuted swiftly. The Iranian attorney general has warned that anyone taking part in protests would be considered an “enemy of God,” a sentence that carries the death penalty under Iranian law.

Trump has made preventing Soltani’s execution a priority, telling reporters the U.S. would respond “accordingly” to any executions of protesters.

Will Iran’s direct threat against the president’s life force Trump to accelerate military intervention, or will diplomatic channels prevent further escalation between the two adversaries?

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