Highlights:
President Donald Trump has said he has left standing military orders for the American armed forces to strike Iran if Tehran follows through on what he described as long-standing threats to kill him. However, US law does not allow any automatic military retaliation if a president is assassinated.
If Trump were killed, vice president JD Vance would immediately become president under the 25th Amendment and the Presidential Succession Act of 1947. As commander in chief, Vance would have the authority to decide how the United States responds. That means military action could happen, but only if the new president approves it. There is no automatic or pre-authorized "dead man's switch" that launches an attack after a president's death.
On Saturday, Trump wrote on his social media platform that Iran had threatened "to assassinate, or attempt to assassinate" him. He added that 1,000 "missiles are Locked and Loaded and aimed at the Islamic Republic of Iran, with thousands more to immediately follow, should the Iranian Government act on its threat".
Hours later, Iran's supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, renewed calls to avenge the death of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed during the initial US and Israeli strikes that began the war in late February. Speaking on state television, he said, "We pledge to take revenge for the pure blood of you and all the martyrs of these two wars from the criminal and disgraceful killers." He also added, "This revenge is the will of our nation and must certainly be carried out." During funeral events, many mourners held posters calling for Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be killed.
The White House did not immediately respond to questions about what would happen to Trump's military orders if he were assassinated. According to reports, Israel recently warned US officials about new Iranian plots targeting Trump. While the White House declined to comment, Trump referred to the threats during the NATO summit in Turkey, saying, "They want to take out the US leader -- me."
Sabrina Singh, a former deputy Pentagon press secretary, said, "Iran wanting to target senior American leaders is something that we know is happening," adding, "You have to take these as credible threats."
Trump has already survived two assassination attempts during the 2024 presidential campaign. He also faced another security scare when an armed man entered the White House Correspondents' Association dinner he attended in April. This week, Trump also chose to fly on an older Air Force One instead of a newer aircraft, raising fresh security concerns.
Security expert Garrett M. Graff said the United States has never created an automatic system that launches military strikes if a president dies. He explained that while the country has detailed continuity-of-government plans, any military action after a president's death would still require approval from the new commander in chief.
Graff said Trump's reported standing orders may face legal questions because presidential military authority immediately transfers to the successor. He added that Trump could legally tell Vance, "If I'm killed, nuke Iran," but the final decision would still belong to the new president.
The latest exchange of threats has increased tensions between Washington and Tehran. Even if Trump has prepared military plans, any US retaliation would ultimately depend on the president who takes office after him, not on an automatic system.
