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US has no 'dead man's switch' to attack Iran if it kills Trump
AP News • • nation
Key Points:
- President Donald Trump claimed he has left standing orders for the U.S. military to launch unprecedented attacks on Iran if Tehran attempts to assassinate him, but no automatic "dead man’s switch" exists to trigger immediate retaliation upon his death.
- In the event of Trump's assassination, authority would transfer instantly to Vice President JD Vance, who could choose to retaliate according to Trump’s wishes or opt for a different response, as per the 25th Amendment and Presidential Succession Act.
- Iran’s supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei vowed retaliation for the killing of his father in recent U.S. and Israeli strikes, with widespread calls in Iran for revenge against Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu.
- The U.S. has long-standing contingency plans for continuity of government and nuclear command transfer, but these do not authorize automatic retaliatory strikes upon a president’s death without successor approval.
- Credible threats against Trump from Iran have been reported, with previous U.S. administrations, including Biden’s, issuing warnings that attacks on senior American leaders would provoke severe consequences or be considered acts of war.
