Iran Newspaper Publishes Death List Naming Trump, 12 Leaders

A conservative Iranian newspaper has published an online infographic depicting 13 world leaders as targets for revenge, including former US President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and several European heads of state. The publication has raised international alarm over incitement to violence, though defense experts assess the list as largely symbolic propaganda, according to Het Laatste Nieuws.

The Publication

On July 11, 2026, Hamshahri — a Persian-language daily owned by Tehran’s municipality and known for its hardline editorial stance — released an AI-generated graphic online showing 13 leaders in orange prison uniforms with crosshairs on their foreheads. The graphic did not appear in the newspaper’s Sunday print edition, suggesting possible internal debate about its appropriateness.

The list includes:

• Top row: Benjamin Netanyahu (Prime Minister of Israel), Donald Trump (President of the United States)
• Second row: Israel Katz (Israeli Defense Minister), Pete Hegseth (US Defense Secretary), Marco Rubio (US Secretary of State)
• Third row: Mike Huckabee (US Ambassador to Israel), Eyal Zamir (IDF Chief of Staff), Giorgia Meloni (Italian Prime Minister), Gideon Sa’ar (Israeli Foreign Minister)
• Bottom row: Friedrich Merz (German Chancellor), Emmanuel Macron (French President), Keir Starmer (UK Prime Minister)

The Trigger: A War Born from Assassination

The publication is the latest development in a conflict that began on February 28, 2026, when Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader for 37 years, was killed in a joint US-Israeli airstrike on Tehran. The strike opened a broader US-Israel war on Iran aimed at regime change. Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Ali Khamenei who succeeded his father as Supreme Leader on March 8, was himself injured in the same attack.

A provisional ceasefire brokered by Pakistan was signed in June 2026 but unraveled in early July after Iranian attacks on commercial shipping near the Strait of Hormuz. The US responded with air raids, striking approximately 140 Iranian targets on July 12.

Vengeance Declared

Mojtaba Khamenei issued his first public statement after his father’s funeral, declaring: “Vengeance is the will of our nation and must inevitably be carried out. These criminals, whose names appear on a list, will take to their graves the wish of a peaceful death in their beds.”

There has been no official confirmation from Iran’s leadership that the list published by Hamshahri has been endorsed by the state. Iranian political messaging often involves multiple voices including institutions, state-aligned media, and hardline outlets.

Trump’s Response

President Trump acknowledged the threat, telling reporters aboard Air Force One: “They want to take out the US leader — me. I’m on whatever list. I saw this morning I’m on every single one of their lists.” He also posted on Truth Social that “1000 Missiles are Locked and Loaded” aimed at Iran, threatening to “decimate” the country should any attack be attempted against him.

Multiple US media outlets, including CNN and the Wall Street Journal, have reported that Israel shared intelligence with the US about an active, specific Iranian plot to assassinate Trump.

Symbolic Propaganda or Real Threat?

Defense experts largely assess the list as symbolic propaganda rather than an operational hit list. Belgian defense expert Roger Housen, interviewed by HLN, characterized it as having a “dual message”: to the Iranian domestic audience — “we are not defeated, we will avenge” — and to the international community — “we are still capable of avenging our leaders.”

“The chance that any of those thirteen people will actually be attacked is extremely small, not to say negligible,” Housen said. “This is symbolism. These are words, but they will not be followed by deeds.”

The Lone Wolf Risk

Despite the symbolic nature, experts warn that the publication could inspire independent actors. “Iran has had agents abroad for years, also in Europe and the United States. There are sleeper cells and so-called ‘lone wolves’ who feel indebted to the regime,” Housen warned. “They could be motivated by this to carry out an attack somewhere. Not necessarily on the people on that list, but in the countries they come from.”

Escalation Dynamics

The publication comes at a precarious moment. The US has resumed strikes on Iran, and Iran has declared the Strait of Hormuz closed until further notice — a move that threatens global energy markets. However, diplomatic channels remain open, with Qatari and Omani mediators working to salvage the ceasefire framework.

Housen described the most likely scenario as an “on-off scenario” — something between peace and total war, with periodic flare-ups of violence interspersed with relative calm. Talks between representatives of both sides continued in Qatar on Sunday, though not at the highest levels.

What to Watch

The key questions in the coming days include whether Iran’s leadership will officially endorse or distance itself from the Hamshahri list, how European leaders will respond to being named, and whether diplomatic efforts in Qatar and Oman can produce a renewed ceasefire. The Strait of Hormuz closure and its impact on global energy prices will also remain a critical focus.