Is Trump eyeing to assassinate Khamenei? US troops’ movement intensifies in Portugal and Gulf bases. world news

The ongoing US-Iran tensions have taken a flip, with the negotiations talks from Oman to Geneva, leaders drawing ‘red lines’ and US President Donald Trump’s stark 10-15 day ultimatum to Iran, demanding a nuclear deal centered on completely abandoning uranium enrichment or facing severe consequences.

Reports indicate President Donald Trump is contemplating military options well beyond diplomacy, including targeted strikes on Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, his son Mojtaba, and key mullahs.

According to reports, US President Trump is weighing his options, one of which is taking out” the nation’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Imam Ali Khamenei, his son, and the mullahs.

Also Read: EXPLAINED | Talks in Geneva, tensions in Hormuz: Who’s blocking a US-Iran breakthrough?

US plans to assassinate Iranian leader?

According to an Axios report citing multiple sources, President Trump is evaluating various military scenarios, including one targeting Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his potential successor, son Mojtaba, for assassination.

“They have plans for every scenario. One option eliminates the ayatollah, his son, and the mullahs,” a senior Trump advisor told Axios. The advisor stressed no final decision exists, “What the president chooses, no one knows. I don’t think he knows”. Another senior administration official confirmed the Khamenei and son Mojtaba assassination plan was briefed to Trump weeks ago.

Trump is maintaining strategic flexibility and could greenlight an attack anytime, a third Trump administration source said, including potential direct strikes on Iran’s top leadership accroding to reports.

US troop movement intensified in Portugal and the Gulf

As US-Iran tensions escalate over Tehran’s nuclear program, the United States has sharply escalated military deployments in Portugal’s Azores islands and across Gulf bases, positioning forces for potential rapid strikes.

Several reports confirm an unprecedented buildup at Lajes Air Base on Terceira Island, alongside massive reinforcements in Qatar, Bahrain, and Jordan, fueling speculation of imminent action against Iran.

US troops stationed at Al Udeid in Qatar and Bahrain’s 5th Fleet hub, a New York Times report detailed precautionary evacuations of hundreds of personnel amid fears of Iranian retaliatory strikes.

Quoting unnamed Pentagon officials, the Times noted, “Troops had been evacuated from key hubs like Al Udeid… and bases in Bahrain,” though a senior US official later dismissed it to Fox News, insisting “there had been no such mass evacuation,” fueling mixed signals as carriers like USS Gerald R. Ford surged toward the region.

This comes alongside buildups of 30,000-40,000 troops, fighter wings, and destroyers, per NYT mappings of the “armada” buildup, the largest since the 2003 Iraq Invasion.

US troops’ lavish meal..a signal for a possible attack?

The escalating situation between Washington and Tehran, social media platforms erupted with photos of US troops at Gulf bases savoring steak, lobster, crab legs, and pie, igniting a viral theory that such lavish “surf-and-turf” meals signal an imminent strike on Iran.

Social media users drawing parallels to pre-2025 nuclear site attacks when similar feasts preceded action; Experts note these boost morale but fuel speculation amid Trump’s 10-15 day uranium ultimatum demanding zero enrichment.

The buzz aligns with the massive deployment of troops in Qatar, Bahrain, and Jordan, carriers USS Abraham Lincoln and Gerald R. Ford near Hormuz, plus F-35s and tankers at Portugal’s Lajes Air Base, though the claims have not been confirmed by the Pentagon. The timing aligns with the approaching deadline for Tehran.