A group of Iranian students burn the U.S. flag during a protest in front of the British embassy following anti-government protests in Tehran, Iran, January 14, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY
(Tehran, Iran) – Iran escalated tensions with the U.S. after state-run television aired an image of Donald Trump from the 2024 Butler, Pennsylvania assassination attempt alongside the message, “This time it will not miss the target.”
The image appeared during pro-government rallies in Tehran, where protesters burned American flags and chanted “Death to America,” according to Agence France-Presse. The broadcast is being viewed as Tehran’s most direct threat yet against Trump, who has warned that U.S. military action remains an option if Iran continues its violent crackdown on protesters.
Iran has previously issued threats against Trump, including a 2022 video depicting an assassination scenario at his Mar-a-Lago golf course and a separate U.S.-disrupted plot in 2024 allegedly tied to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The threat comes as Iran faces mass unrest over its collapsing economy and political repression, with thousands reportedly killed since protests erupted in late December.
