Tehran: Iran has mocked and threatened President Donald Trump by airing a provocative image of the American leader from his attempted assassination at a 2024 campaign rally in Pennsylvania, accompanied by the warning, “This time it will not miss the target.”
Images of the ominous message, translated from Persian, quickly circulated online through multiple media reports and were also broadcast on Iranian state-run television, drawing sharp attention to the escalating war of words between Tehran and Washington.
The broadcast came against the backdrop of Trump’s repeated warnings that the United States could take military action against Iran if it continues what he has described as violent crackdowns on people protesting a deepening economic crisis and growing public dissatisfaction with the country’s leadership.
Earlier, Trump issued a strong warning in a post on Truth Social, accusing Iran of routinely killing peaceful demonstrators.
“If Iran kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and ready to go,” he wrote, underscoring a confrontational stance toward Tehran.
The image used by Iranian media referenced the assassination attempt on Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024, when a gunman, identified as Thomas Crooks, fired shots at the stage, grazing Trump’s ear.
The incident shocked the United States and briefly halted Trump’s campaign appearances during the presidential elections.
Meanwhile, the UK has temporarily closed its embassy in Tehran and withdrawn all diplomatic staff, citing a worsening security situation as tensions escalate following Iran’s violent crackdown on protests and mounting speculation over possible US military action.
The decision comes at a time of heightened regional instability, with reports indicating that Trump is considering potential military strikes against Iran.
The UK’s announcement followed a decision by the United States to evacuate some of its personnel from the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest US military installation in the Middle East.
(IANS)
