Iran and Allied Militias Escalate Public Threats Against Trump After Khamenei Funeral
A Tehran billboard reading 'Who is D nexT one?' and a $10 million bounty from an Iraqi militia mark an escalation in public threats against the US president, as Iran's leadership vows revenge for the killing of its supreme leader.
A coordinated campaign of public assassination threats against US President Donald Trump has emerged from Iranian state-linked media and Iran-backed militias in the days following the funeral of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The most visible element, a billboard in central Tehran controlled by an organisation close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), displays the slogan 'Who is D nexT one?' with the letters D and T capitalised in a manner widely interpreted as a reference to Donald Trump. Separately, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed militias, announced a $10 million reward for anyone who kills Trump, citing his role in the 2020 drone strike that killed Qassem Soleimani. US intelligence agencies, according to White House statements, assess the threat of Iranian retaliation as real and have warned of a 'severe and devastating' response should any attempt be made.
Viewed from Tehran, the threats serve multiple domestic and strategic functions. Iranian state media, including the Fars news agency, have disseminated a video titled 'Where can Trump be killed?' that purports to analyse the security of the presidential motorcade in Florida. In the parliament, over 180 of 290 deputies brandished red flags and joined calls for vengeance. Analysts in Iran and Berlin note that the regime is using the funeral processions and the martyrdom narrative to rally its support base and deflect attention from military setbacks suffered since the US-Israeli air campaign began in February. Moein Khazaeli, a legal scholar and human rights researcher, told German media that the rhetoric is partly psychological warfare aimed at projecting strength and deterrence, while also signalling a potential resort to terrorist means if pressure continues.
Beyond Trump, the threats have extended to a broader list of Western officials. The conservative Tehran daily Hamshahri published a 'wanted list' of 13 political and military figures, topped by Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but also including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The list was accompanied by the headline 'Revenge is inevitable'. At Khamenei's funeral in Mashhad, mourners carried placards with crosshairs over the faces of Trump, the late US Senator Lindsey Graham, and others, alongside a $100 million bounty. The new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has publicly sworn to avenge his father's blood, a vow echoed in official statements and state-controlled media.
Despite the hostile public messaging, diplomatic channels between Washington and Tehran remain active, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. The two sides are reportedly still in contact, even as daily exchanges of rocket and drone fire continue. The US has conducted further precision strikes on Iranian infrastructure, while Iran has claimed drone attacks on US bases in Kuwait and a missile strike on a military site in Syria. The public threats complicate an already fragile negotiation track, with the Trump administration seeking to de-escalate the conflict ahead of midterm elections, while the Iranian leadership uses the threat of assassination as leverage. The dossier remains highly volatile, with no formal ceasefire or next round of talks yet scheduled.
| Southeast Asian press | −0.20 | neutral |
|---|---|---|
| Latin American press | −0.30 | critical |
| Indian & South Asian press | −0.40 | critical |
| Continental European press | −0.80 | critical |
We question whether this mural is a real threat signal or just propaganda, leaving the reader in doubt.
By posing a question in the headline, the bloc creates ambiguity without explicitly rejecting the threat, allowing readers to draw their own conclusions.
This bloc omits the $10 million bounty from Iraqi militia and the billboard with hidden Trump reference, which would strengthen the case for a real threat.
We question whether Iranian threats are real risk or mere propaganda, contextualizing the aggressive rhetoric.
By providing the context of Khamenei's funeral and the war, the bloc allows the reader to assess the credibility of the threats without taking sides.
This bloc omits the Trump coffin mural and the $10 million bounty, which are more concrete threat elements that would reduce skepticism.
We report the billboard and bounty as concrete threats, emphasizing the revenge motive and the urgency.
By presenting two separate threat incidents in close succession, the bloc creates an impression of coordinated and escalating danger.
This bloc does not question the credibility of the threats or provide any skeptical analysis, unlike other blocs.
We condemn the tasteless propaganda of the mullahs showing Trump in a coffin as a dangerous escalation.
By using morally charged terms like 'tasteless' and 'disrespectful', the Iranian action is portrayed as illegitimate and beyond the pale.
This bloc omits the question of whether the threats are real or propaganda, and also leaves out the context of revenge for Soleimani, which could provide a rationale.
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