Earlier this week, Iranian state television broadcast a menacing message aimed at President Donald Trump, alluding to an assassination attempt he narrowly escaped during a 2024 campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania.

The broadcast included footage of a demonstrator at a rally supporting the Iranian regime, holding a placard. The placard displayed an infamous image of Trump on stage, his ear bloodied from a bullet that grazed him during the Butler event, while Secret Service agents hurried to protect him.

This powerful image was accompanied by a caption in Farsi, which translates to, “This time, it (the bullet) won’t miss,” as reported by i24 news correspondent Amachia Stein. Stein shared a screenshot of the broadcast on his X account.

The Secret Service has acknowledged awareness of the photograph.

An image from Iranian state television in January 2026 shows the threat against President Donald Trump. (Source: Iranian State TV; Amachia Stein via X)

At the Pennsylvania rally, Trump turned his head a split-second before the bullet struck him, avoiding what could have been a deadly shot. In defiance of his protective detail, he stood up and raised his fist, yelling, “Fight, fight, fight,” before being scuttled off the stage.

The threat comes amid rising tensions between the United States and Iran, and as the Iranian people rise up against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s brutal regime.

The protests stemmed from the cloistered Middle Eastern country’s economic crisis, which has become increasingly dire as the value of the Rial, Iran’s currency, has plummeted.

The regime has cracked down hard on the protesters, with state-sanctioned killings estimated to be in the thousands.

Former President Donald Trump raises his arm with blood on his face during a campaign rally for former President Donald Trump at Butler Farm Show Inc. on Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa. Trump ducked and was taken offstage after loud noises were heard after he began speaking. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency announced that 1,847 of the dead were protesters and 135 were members of Iran’s security forces. Other reports say the death toll is more than 3,000 people, Fox News Digital previously reported. 

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has been weighing military action to stop the slaughter of civilians.

“I have canceled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY,” Trump posted to Truth Social Tuesday.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks after casting his vote for the presidential runoff election on July 5, 2024, in Tehran, Iran. (Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)

At least one U.S. aircraft carrier has been moved to the region, military sources told Fox News Digital. Those same sources said missile defense systems are expected to be deployed in the region to protect U.S. and allied military bases.

On Thursday afternoon, Trump told the media that “very important sources on the other side” informed him that Iran has halted the execution of protesters, but said he is keeping an eye on the situation.

As for whether military action is imminent, Trump remained noncommittal, reiterating that he is monitoring the situation.