On October 10, Ali Larijani, the Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, directly threatened US President Donald Trump via his Telegram channel, telling him to be careful not to be removed. Larijani's remarks come following the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, positioning him as a prominent figure in Iran's transitional government focusing on military and security issues. He dismissed Trump's warnings as weak and asserted that previous powerful figures have failed to eliminate Iran, implying that Trump could also share that fate if he is not careful.

Previously, Trump had posted on Truth Social, cautioning that if Iran obstructs oil flow in the Strait of Hormuz, it would face 20 times greater consequences than before. He suggested that the United States could target easily destroyed sites in Iran, making the country's reconstruction nearly impossible, while predicting chaos for the nation. Trump's message was also layered with a tone of hope that such escalations could be avoided, framing it as a benevolent gesture towards countries that rely on the Strait for oil transport, indicating potential diplomatic maneuvering amidst heightened tensions.

This exchange between Trump and Larijani illustrates the escalating rhetoric between the US and Iran following recent political turmoil in Iran. With external pressures mounting and a power vacuum following Khamenei's death, the warnings from Larijani signal Iran's resolve to resist perceived threats. The implications of this back-and-forth could deepen the existing tensions in US-Iran relations, impacting diplomatic and economic strategies moving forward.