An Iranian official played a dangerous game on Tuesday when he made a death threat against President Donald Trump.
Mohammad-Javad Larijani, a former senior advisor to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, made an appearance on state-run television in which he suggested the regime might carry out a drone strike on Trump at Mar-a-Lago.
“Trump has done something so that he can no longer sunbathe in Mar-a-Lago,” he said. “As he lies there with his stomach to the sun, a small drone might hit him in the navel. It’s very simple.”
Mohammad Javad Larijani, a conservative politician and Khamenei's foreign affairs adviser (not to be confused with his brother Ali Larijani), said on a television program just before the American attack on Iran: "Trump can no longer sunbathe at Mar-a-Lago because a drone could… pic.twitter.com/B8XSs2nbDY
— Niv Calderon (@nivcalderon) July 8, 2025
This is one of several threats Iranian leaders have made amid the military conflict between Israel and Iran. An online platform called “blood pact” has begun raising money to fund the assassination of President Trump. “We pledge to award the bounty to anyone who can bring the enemies of God and those who threaten the life of Ali Khamenei to justice,” the group said on its website.
The organization seeks to raise $100 million for this purpose. So far, it has raised $40 million.
Larijani’s remarks come after Israel and the US bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities over a two-week period. The US launched airstrikes on three of the regime’s nuclear facilities after Israel maintained a bombing operation targeting these sites. He previously called for the torture of Iranian dissidents under Sharia law.
Well , Massive Airstrikes Rock Tehran
— Armand Klein (@ArmandKleinX) June 23, 2025
As The I.A.F. Pounds Dozen Of Targets
In Iran Against The Ayatollah
Terror Regime 💥🇺🇸
Ayatollah should Resign , He Is Done 💯
Iranians Want Change , They Must
Fight Now For Their Liberty Fight
Fight Fight Towerd This Ayatollah
Regime… pic.twitter.com/xkhoVLgKgu
It appears that at least some of Iran’s officials might have a death wish — or perhaps they are merely engaging in pointless saber-rattling. Larijani can’t be stupid enough to believe Iran would get away with assassinating President Trump. If such a thing happened, there is no doubt that the regime would face a war it desperately does not want, despite its bombastic public statements. This outcome would spell disaster not only for the Iranian populace but also for those in power.
Given that taking this type of action against Trump would be suicide, it is unlikely that the regime would try to take on such an endeavor. However, it is not impossible. Perhaps these people are deluded enough to believe they could actually avoid becoming piles of ash after the US retaliates. Either way, it is clear that Iran’s incendiary rhetoric is not going to stop any time soon.