US President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to Iran, declaring that 1,000 missiles are “locked and loaded” and aimed at the Islamic Republic, with thousands more ready to follow, should Tehran act on threats to assassinate him.

“1,000 Missiles are Locked and Loaded and aimed at the Islamic Republic of Iran, with thousands of more to immediately follow, should the Iranian Government act on its threat, pronounced in many corners of the Globe, to assassinate, or attempt to assassinate, the sitting President of the United States of America, in this case, ME!” Trump wrote on Truth Social, his social media platform.

He added that “orders have already been given” and that the US military stands “ready, willing and able, for a one year period of time, subject to extension, to completely decimate and destroy all areas of Iran.”

The warning follows reports, including from the Wall Street Journal, that Israel had passed intelligence to Washington suggesting Iran was weighing a plot to kill Trump. Tehran has repeatedly vowed retaliation over the killing of Qassem Soleimani, the former commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, during Trump’s first term. Speaking separately to the New York Post, Trump said he has “left instructions” for the US to bomb Iran “at levels that they’ve never seen before” should such a plot go ahead, while dismissing suggestions that Israel had passed on a specific threat.

Ceasefire declared over

Trump said on Friday that the fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran was now “over,” even as he confirmed the US had agreed to Iran’s request to continue talks. “The Islamic Republic of Iran has asked us to continue ‘talks.’ We have agreed to do so, but the United States has stated to them, in no uncertain terms, that the Cease Fire is OVER!” he wrote. The declaration came after the most intense exchange of strikes between the two countries since the truce took hold, with US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees American military operations in the Middle East, carrying out two days of strikes this week targeting, among other sites, railways Iran was reportedly using to move military supplies.

Ultimatum over the Strait of Hormuz

Separately, according to Axios, the Trump administration has issued an ultimatum demanding Iran publicly confirm that the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which a large share of the world’s seaborne oil passes, remains open, and commit to halting attacks on commercial vessels. The message has reportedly been relayed both directly and through regional intermediaries, according to three US officials.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to meet his Omani counterpart, Sayyid Badr al-Busaidi, in Muscat on Saturday to discuss the crisis. Oman has in recent weeks aligned itself with the US and Gulf allies, opening a southern maritime corridor near its coast to allow shipping to bypass the flashpoint. Iran reportedly viewed the move as undermining its negotiating leverage, and US officials claim Iranian negotiators privately acknowledged that hardline elements within the regime had opened fire on vessels in an attempt to regain the upper hand.

One US official said Iranian representatives made contact after this week’s clashes to request renewed talks, telling Washington: “We messed up. We were wrong. Let’s keep talking.” The same official pointed to an internal rift within the Iranian regime over implementation of the memorandum of understanding signed with Washington and the path forward in negotiations. “There are elements within their system that want an agreement to be reached, but we cannot make decisions on their behalf. They need to get their house in order,” the official said.

Washington is now expecting a public statement from Tehran following Saturday’s talks in Oman. “We want them to publicly state that they will stop firing on ships and to explicitly, or at least implicitly, acknowledge that they were wrong,” a US official said, adding that Washington also wants confirmation that all maritime channels through the strait will stay open without tolls or additional fees. A second official warned of serious consequences if Iran does not comply: “If that is not their position, then it will not be a good day for them.”