German Media: Trump Threatens to 'Destroy Iran' if Assassinated, Claims 1,000 Missiles Awaiting Launch

Trump again threatened Iran on Friday via social media, stating that if the country attempts to assassinate him, the U.S. will "completely destroy" Iran, and claimed that "1,000 missiles" are already aimed at the nation. Meanwhile, U.S. officials said Washington hopes Tehran will publicly commit to halting attacks on vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz in order to advance negotiations.

U.S. President Trump has once again threatened military action against Iran due to Iranian threats to assassinate him. On his social platform, Truth Social, Trump posted: "One thousand missiles are already loaded and targeted at the Islamic Republic of Iran, with thousands more ready for immediate launch."

He stated that Iran has threatened to assassinate him "in multiple corners of the world."

Trump wrote: "If such an event occurs, the relevant orders have already been issued—our military is prepared and capable of completely destroying and annihilating Iran within a year (extendable if necessary)—Praise be to God!"

During the funeral of late Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei, someone publicly called for Trump's execution, and protesters held signs reading "Kill Trump."

U.S. officials: "Washington hopes Tehran will publicly commit to stopping attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz"

Multiple unnamed senior U.S. officials told media on Friday, July 10, that Washington is demanding Tehran issue a public statement committing to cease attacks on ships navigating the Strait of Hormuz.

These officials said that high-level talks between U.S. and Iranian leaders are making progress. However, they emphasized that they hope Iran issues an official declaration confirming that its armed forces will stop attacking vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, ensuring continued negotiation momentum.

One official stated: "Our demand is for Iran to issue a public statement confirming that all shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz are fully open and that they will no longer fire upon vessels. If they do not provide us with such a statement, the consequences will be detrimental to them."

Last week, Trump announced a ceasefire agreement between the U.S. and Iran. Since then, three commercial oil tankers from Qatar and Saudi Arabia were attacked by gunfire in the Strait of Hormuz.

A senior U.S. official told reporters on Friday that Iran explained the attacks as being carried out by an "unauthorized department within their system."

Iranian Foreign Minister Arrives in Oman for Talks on Strait of Hormuz Issues

According to Iranian state media, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Muscat, the capital of Oman, on Saturday, July 11, to negotiate arrangements aimed at ensuring safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.

Previously, the U.S. and Iran had accused each other of violating the ceasefire agreement. In a post on social platform X, Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi stated that Iran has consistently fulfilled its commitments under the ceasefire deal reached with the U.S.

He wrote: "To date, Iran has remained committed to its promises; in contrast, the so-called U.S. Treasury Secretary has violated Article 9 of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)—which stipulates that if Iran maintains its current nuclear program status, the U.S. will impose no new sanctions. This breach is merely the latest in a series of prior U.S. violations and miscalculations. The reality is: only when both sides fulfill their obligations can the agreement stand."

Germany and France Plan New Initiative on Lebanon to Promote Peace in the Middle East

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Germany is working with France to develop a new joint German-French policy initiative on Lebanon.

In an interview with Germany’s Tagesspiegel ahead of next week’s German-French Ministers’ Council meeting, Wadephul stated: "We hope to jointly formulate a policy toward Lebanon with France, in order to increase the likelihood of peace in the Middle East."

Continued clashes between Israeli forces and Hezbollah, an Iran-backed armed group based in Lebanon, have long been a central sticking point in U.S.-Iran negotiations.

Wadephul said Berlin and Paris are strengthening cooperation not only to address the EU’s unclear division of responsibilities in foreign policy decision-making but also to continue pushing for an end to conflicts in both Iran and Ukraine: "We must now seriously attempt to resolve these two conflicts." He believes that neither the conflict in Iran nor the war in Ukraine "will end on the battlefield—it can only be resolved at the negotiating table."

Source: DW

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1870425200843788/

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