Trump could be hit by drone while sunbathing: Iranian official

UPDATED: Jul 10, 2025 01:36 IST

Amid escalating tensions between Iran and the United States, a senior Iranian official has warned that US President Donald Trump is no longer safe, even within the confines of his Florida residence, Mar-a-Lago.

In a provocative remark aired on Iranian state television, Javad Larijani — a senior adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — suggested that Trump could be targeted while sunbathing.

“Trump has done something that he can no longer sunbathe in Mar-a-Lago. As he lies there with his stomach to the sun, a small drone might hit him in the navel. It’s very simple," Larijani said, referring to Trump’s role in the 2020 killing of top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani.

The threat coincides with the emergence of an online crowdfunding campaign dubbed Blood Pact (or Ahde Khoun in Farsi), which claims to have raised over USD 27 million as of July 8.

The platform aims to fund retribution against perceived enemies of Iran’s leadership, particularly those involved in actions against Supreme Leader Khamenei.

The platform’s homepage includes a pledge to award the bounty “to anyone who can bring the enemies of God and those who threaten the life of Ali Khamenei to justice.”

Iranian state-linked media, including Fars News Agency, have reported on the campaign, with calls for public support in Iran and abroad.

These developments come in the wake of heightened conflict in the region, including U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites and threats of retaliation from Tehran. While Trump has claimed that Iran is open to resuming talks with Washington, Iranian officials have yet to confirm such intentions, and President Masoud Pezeshkian has stated that severe damage from the US attacks has delayed any concrete steps forward.

The US government has long been aware of threats against Trump, with previous intelligence linking Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to alleged assassination plots following the Soleimani strike.

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