Iran-backed Iraqi militia offers $10 million bounty to assassinate Trump

The already volatile confrontation between Washington and Tehran has taken another dramatic turn after an Iran-backed Iraqi militia publicly announced a $10 million bounty for anyone who assassinates US President Donald Trump, Gulf News reported.

The declaration, made during a televised event and widely circulated on social media, has intensified concerns over the growing role of Iran-aligned proxy groups and the possibility that the years-long shadow conflict between the United States and Iran could spill into an even more dangerous phase.

The threat comes amid renewed tensions following Trump's recent remarks about Iran and against the backdrop of longstanding allegations by US intelligence agencies that Tehran has explored plots targeting the US president since the 2020 killing of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Qassem Soleimani. Iran has repeatedly denied involvement in assassination plots.

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Militia revives Soleimani revenge narrative

The bounty was announced by an Iran-backed Iraqi militia that framed the reward as retaliation for the US drone strike that killed Soleimani near Baghdad airport in January 2020. During a public gathering, a senior figure associated with the group allegedly declared that "whoever kills Trump" would receive the reward, reviving a slogan that has circulated among hardline factions in the years since the strike.

While it remains unclear whether the group possesses the capability to carry out such an attack, security analysts say the statement is significant because it reinforces the enduring influence of Iran's network of regional proxy organisations. Such groups have frequently targeted US military facilities and diplomatic interests across Iraq and Syria, although a direct attack on a sitting US president would represent an unprecedented escalation.

The latest threat also comes at a time when tensions between the US and Iran have been exacerbated by recent military confrontations, sanctions and political rhetoric, keeping the risk of retaliation at the forefront of regional security concerns.

Trump's warnings and intelligence concerns

The bounty announcement follows Trump's own public comments that he has left standing instructions for a massive military response if Iran succeeds in assassinating him. According to the US president, any such attack would trigger overwhelming retaliation against Iran.

American officials have for several years maintained that Iran-linked networks continue to pose a credible threat to Trump and several former members of his administration because of their roles in authorising the strike that killed Soleimani. Court filings, intelligence assessments and criminal charges announced by US authorities have previously alleged that individuals linked to Iran attempted to recruit operatives for attacks against current and former American officials. Tehran has consistently rejected those accusations.

Recent media reports have also claimed that Israeli intelligence shared information with Washington regarding an alleged new Iranian plot targeting Trump, although the details have not been independently verified.

Proxy warfare enters a new phase

The public bounty illustrates how the confrontation between the US and Iran increasingly extends beyond conventional diplomacy or direct military action. Tehran's network of allied militias across Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen has become central to its regional strategy, allowing pressure to be exerted indirectly while maintaining a degree of plausible deniability.

For Washington, experts believe that such threats present both a security and diplomatic challenge. Even if militia statements are intended primarily as propaganda or psychological warfare, US security agencies are likely to treat them seriously given previous intelligence warnings about Iran-linked assassination attempts, they said.