How real is the threat of an Iranian assassination plot against Donald Trump?
A Flemish newspaper's stark framing — that Iran would only kill Donald Trump if it were willing to trigger "total war" — raises a serious question with direct implications for Brussels, the seat of NATO and the EU.
In 30 seconds
- HLN framed the analysis under the headline that whoever kills Trump would unleash a 'total war' — casting deterrence as Tehran's likely brake.
- The US Justice Department has publicly charged individuals in connection with an alleged Iran-directed plot to kill Trump; Iran denies any assassination plans.
- The stated motive traces to the 2020 US killing of IRGC commander Qassem Soleimani, ordered during Trump's first term.
- Belgium hosts NATO's headquarters in Evere and the EU's foreign-policy institutions, placing it at the centre of any Western response.
The story assesses how plausible a state-directed Iranian assassination attempt on US President Donald Trump actually is. Key entities: Iran and its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC); the late IRGC commander Qassem Soleimani, killed in a US strike in 2020; the US Department of Justice, which has charged individuals over an alleged plot; and the Western security bodies based in Belgium — NATO (Evere) and the EU institutions — plus Belgium's federal threat-analysis unit OCAD/OCAM. The Flemish outlet HLN is the seed source framing the deterrence logic.
Background
The alleged threat is rooted in the January 2020 US drone strike near Baghdad that killed IRGC Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani, ordered by Trump. Iranian officials have since repeatedly asserted a right to retribution. In late 2024 the US Justice Department publicly charged individuals linked to an alleged Iran-directed plot to kill Trump, which Tehran denied — the factual backbone against which the 'how real is it' question is now being asked.
What to do
There is no direct action for ordinary Belgium-based readers; the practical takeaway is analytical — treat dramatic headlines with caution, note that the documented threat is real but the deterrent is strong, and recognise that Brussels-based institutions would be central to any fallout.
Impact
Regional — Brussels, as the physical seat of NATO and the EU's foreign-policy apparatus, would be an operational nerve centre for any Western response, and Belgium's OCAD/OCAM would participate in continent-wide threat coordination.
EvidenceDeveloping · 1 primary source + 1 official document · some details remain unconfirmedExplore evidence →Hide evidence ↑
- Publication date unavailable
- Retrieved by ODIN:
- 5 Aug 2026
- Publication date unavailable
- Retrieved by ODIN:
- 5 Aug 2026
Continue reading
This story was assembled from verified evidence, with its sources and reasoning recorded as it was written.