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United States (US) President Donald Trump has threatened severe retaliation against Iran if Tehran carries out alleged plans to assassinate him.
Trump recently claimed he had left standing orders for the U.S. military to strike Iran “at levels they’ve never seen before” if the country followed through on threats against him.
However, U.S. officials and security experts say there is no legal mechanism that allows a president to create an automatic “dead man’s switch” for military retaliation.
If Trump were killed, power would immediately transfer to Vice President JD Vance under the 25th Amendment and the Presidential Succession Act of 1947.
Vance, as the new commander in chief, would then decide whether to carry out any military response.
Security expert Garrett M. Graff said the United States has never used a technical system that automatically orders retaliation after a president’s death.
“The U.S. has, for a whole variety of reasons, never utilized a technical ‘dead man’s switch,’” Graff said.
He explained that while the U.S. has detailed plans for government continuity during major crises, those plans do not authorise automatic strikes following a president’s death.
Trump had earlier posted on his social media platform that Iran had threatened to assassinate him, warning that the U.S. had missiles ready to respond.
“1,000 missiles are Locked and Loaded and aimed at the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Trump wrote.
The statement came following rising tensions between Washington and Tehran after weeks of military exchanges that have threatened a ceasefire agreement.
Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, also vowed retaliation over the killing of his father, former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who died during U.S.-Israeli strikes that started the conflict.
“This revenge is the will of our nation and must certainly be carried out,” Mojtaba Khamenei said.
The White House has not publicly explained what would happen to Trump’s reported military instructions if he were killed.
Experts said any U.S. response to an attack on Trump would likely come through constitutional and military channels rather than an automatic order.
Graff noted that military authority, especially nuclear launch authority, would immediately move to the president’s successor.
“In the event of a president’s death, the nuclear launch authority would immediately pass to the vice president or designated successor,” he said.
Trump has previously faced assassination attempts during the 2024 presidential campaign, and U.S. officials have continued to warn about threats from Iran and other foreign adversaries.
Former Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said threats against senior U.S. officials from Iran should be taken seriously.
“You have to take these as credible threats,” Singh said.
The latest exchange has added further uncertainty to mediators’ efforts to restore diplomatic talks between the United States and Iran.
