Trump Threatens Iran Strikes Amid Reports of Assassination Plots

President Donald Trump stated Saturday that he may strike Iran as early as Sunday or pursue a new agreement, though he noted a need to stop killing Iranian leaders to determine who the United States is negotiating with. Speaking at a rally in Georgia, Trump defended his termination of the 2015 nuclear deal and claimed that Operation Midnight Hammer and Operation Epic Fury had already obliterated Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf responded by warning that any violation of territorial integrity would trigger a response beyond the enemy's imagination. This escalation coincided with a claim by the Iranian army that it shot down a US Lucas-type drone over Bandar Abbas.

Adding to the tension, Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton warned that Iranian plots to target US personnel in the Middle East and other countries have reached advanced stages. Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghci indicated that the management of the Strait of Hormuz would change following the recent war.