$10 million on Trump's head? Iran-backed militia offers hefty amount to assassinate US President

An Iran-backed militia umbrella operating under the name Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI) has announced a $10 million bounty for anyone who assassinates US President Donald Trump, claiming the reward is retaliation for the 2020 US drone strike that killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.

According to Iran-owned Press TV, the group said the money had been raised through donations from its members and supporters.

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In a statement dated July 16, the militia said it was offering the reward to "whoever kills the criminal Trump, or whoever eliminates him personally, directs others to do so, or facilitates it as an individual, group, organisation or institution."

The group said the announcement followed what it described as Trump's "boasting" about his role in the killings of Soleimani and al-Muhandis. It added that "the money had been collected through donations from its members and supporters," according to Press TV.

Trump remarks revive tensions

The announcement came after Trump referred to the January 2020 drone strike during a White House meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi.

According to Arab news outlet Asharq Al-Awsat, Trump defended the operation, saying, "I killed him in my first administration. Had I not, it might be a different story today... I actually think the leaders of Iran were afraid of Soleimani."

Without naming al-Muhandis, Trump added, "By the way, a very bad person went with him. They happened to meet at the airport, and a very bad person from Iraq, a leader there, was killed in the same incident."

Al-Zaidi responded, "At that time, I wasn't working in politics."

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Separately, the family of al-Muhandis criticised the Iraqi prime minister's response to Trump's remarks, saying the comments "clearly show his fear."

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the family said, "Whoever distances himself from his country's honorable past severs his connection to the roots of his nation, and whoever's past is marked by falsehood is not worthy of leading the future."

Previous assassination threats

The latest threat comes after Trump survived multiple assassination attempts during the 2024 US presidential campaign.

The most serious occurred on July 13, 2024, during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, when a gunman opened fire, grazing Trump's ear. Weeks later, another alleged assassination plot was disrupted near Trump's golf course in Florida after Secret Service agents intervened before any shots were fired.

US prosecutors have also alleged in separate criminal cases that individuals linked to Iran attempted to recruit people to assassinate Trump in retaliation for Soleimani's killing. Iran has denied any involvement in the alleged plots.