Donald Trump has warned he may be assassinated by Iran, declaring himself the regime's 'number one target' during a news conference at the end of the NATO summit in Turkey.
Trump's assassination fears
'Iran had leaders, they're gone. And they had another set of leaders; they're gone,' Trump said. 'Now they have another set of leaders. They may be gone. Who knows? And you know what? I may be gone too, because I'm their number one target.' He added, 'It's out all over the place. I'm their number one because they're scum. That's the way they act, and that's the way they've done it for 47 years.'
Military success or dead end?
Trump rejected claims that the war with Iran had been a 'strategic dead end,' calling it the 'opposite.' 'The Iran war has been a tremendous military success,' he said. 'I'm not sure I want to make a deal with them. We can play games, but I'm not sure I want to make a deal. Let's just finish the job.'
Iranian retaliation on US sites
On July 7, Iran said it had launched attacks on 85 US military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait after the US carried out fresh strikes on multiple commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the assault aimed 'to impose heavy costs for targeting and attacking commercial shipping crewed by innocent individuals in an international waterway.' Multiple oil tankers were targeted on July 7 and July 8, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations.
Ceasefire violations
Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) framed its latest action as retaliation for what it called a US ceasefire violation. CENTCOM stated, 'Iran's demonstrated aggression was unwarranted, dangerous, and a clear violation of the ceasefire.' The attacks came hours after the US said it would reinstate sanctions on Iran because of the strikes on ships. In late June, the US and Iran accused each other of violating the ceasefire terms after the two countries exchanged fire days after Trump signed a peace agreement with Iran.
