A retired high-ranking Iranian military official has issued a stunning threat against President Trump, claiming the Islamic Republic has the power to kill him even within the confines of the White House.
The remarks came from Hossein Kanani Moghaddam, who once served as a senior commander in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, during an interview published by the Iranian outlet Fararu.
“If the goal is to assassinate Trump, the Islamic Republic can easily do so in the White House. Whenever necessary, we are capable of doing that,” Moghaddam said.
Rather than framing ongoing US-Iran talks as a genuine push toward diplomacy, the retired commander painted them as merely a tool for lowering hostilities.
“We are not negotiating with the Americans for peace. We are negotiating to reduce tensions,” Moghaddam said.
According to Moghaddam, the true purpose behind the negotiations is to reinforce Iran’s negotiating position and push back against US accusations.
“We are not negotiating for peace with Trump and his criminal aides. In the negotiations, we are only seeking to restore our rights and clarify the accusations made against us by the United States,” Moghaddam said.
Perhaps most notably, the former commander declined to close the door on future strikes against America tied to the recent hostilities.
“As for revenge and retaliation, they remain firmly on the table,” Moghaddam added.
His remarks land at a moment when American firepower against Iranian targets has grown more aggressive, with strikes over the weekend reaching further into Iran’s interior rather than staying confined to coastal zones.
President Trump responded by promising a forceful response, faulting Iranian leadership for rejecting a proposed peace agreement.
Trump also announced a new US military role protecting the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway Iran had threatened to seal off entirely.
“Now we’re going to guard it, and we’re going to get paid for guarding it,” Trump said Monday.
Tehran, meanwhile, has fired back at Washington, alleging that American actions have derailed separate negotiations with Oman meant to guarantee safe transit through the strait.
Iranian military spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaghari accused American forces of heightening the odds of a larger regional war through what he described as ongoing hostile conduct.
Zolfaghari specifically condemned the United States for its “repeated provocations and destabilizing actions.”
The Iranian spokesman didn’t stop there, extending a pointed caution to other governments in the region.
“The leaders of the countries in the region are warned that any cooperation with the United States or logistical support for its military will be regarded as an act of war against Iran’s sovereignty and national security,” Zolfaghari said.
That warning suggests Tehran could broaden its scope of retaliation to include any nation seen as assisting the American military effort.
Financial markets felt the impact almost immediately, as oil prices ticked upward over the weekend amid fears tied to Iran’s announced closure of the strait.
Vessel traffic through the passage, one of the planet’s most vital energy corridors, fell noticeably as the standoff dragged on.
The strait alone accounts for close to twenty percent of oil shipped worldwide, meaning any interruption carries outsized consequences for global markets.
Taken together, the developments reflect a rapid intensification of a conflict that had already produced direct American military strikes against Iran.
Moghaddam’s threat against a sitting US president stands out as one of the boldest verbal provocations to emerge from an Iranian military figure throughout the standoff.
As of this report, neither the White House nor the Department of Defense had issued an official response to the assassination claim.
With threats flying in both directions and the fate of a critical global shipping lane hanging in the balance, concerns are mounting that the confrontation could spiral into something far larger.
