# Trump Suggests Attack Order on Iran, but Vance Has Final Decision
*El presidente Donald Trump ha declarado públicamente que dejaría órdenes para atacar a Irán si es asesinado. Sin embargo, expertos legales y constitucionales advierten que el poder de lanzamiento nuclear recaería automáticamente en el Vicepresidente JD Vance bajo la Enmienda 25.*

- Medio: Orlando Ledger News (https://orlandoledgernews.com)
- URL: https://orlandoledgernews.com/noticia/trump-sugiere-orden-de-ataque-a-iran-pero-vance-tendria-la-decision-final
- Sección: Politics
- Autor: Orlando Ledger News Staff
- Publicado: 2026-07-12T07:03:41.032Z
> Donald Trump suggests automatic orders to attack Iran if he dies, but experts note JD Vance has final legal authority under the 25th Amendment and presidential succession laws.

## Las claves

- President Donald Trump stated he would leave military orders to attack Iran if assassinated, but legal experts warn Vice President JD Vance holds final authority.
- The transfer of power is governed by the 25th Amendment and the Presidential Succession Act of 1947 following potential events in late February or April.
- Vice President Vance has total discretion to execute these orders because no automatic dead man's switch exists for immediate retaliation after a president's death.

President Donald Trump publicly stated he would leave military orders in place to attack Iran "at levels never seen before" if the country pursues his assassination threats. However, legal and constitutional experts firmly warn that the United States does not have an automatic mechanism or a technical "dead man's switch" that activates immediate retaliation following a president's death. Instead, any military order would remain under the exclusive discretion of the constitutional successor.

### Legal Authority and the 25th Amendment

According to the original article published by Associated Press, if Trump were assassinated, the transfer of power is strictly governed by the 25th Amendment and the Presidential Succession Act of 1947. This means that Vice President JD Vance would instantly become commander in chief. Under this legal scenario, Vance would have total authority to execute Trump's orders or decide not to follow them.

Garrett M. Graff, author of the book "Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government's Secret Plan to Save Itself," stated that the United States has never used a technical "dead man's switch" to launch automatic retaliations. Although there are extensive contingency plans for government continuity in case of a nuclear attack or major catastrophe, these do not allow for immediate strikes following the president's death.

### Credible Threats and Geopolitical Context

Trump's statement was published on his social media site after Iran made new threats. The Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei declared hours later that Iranians would continue to avenge the death of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who died in initial attacks between the United States and Israel at the end of February.

"This revenge is the will of our nation and must be carried out without doubt," Mojtaba Khamenei declared in statements broadcast by state television. "We promise to take vengeance for your pure blood and all the martyrs of these two wars against the criminal and shameful assassins."

Sabrina Singh, former deputy press secretary at the Pentagon during the Biden administration, noted that Iranian threats are credible. "You have to take this as a credible threat," Singh stated, highlighting that Iran has wanted to target senior U.S. leaders in the past.

### Security and Military Protocols

Despite the public statement regarding military orders, Trump did not explicitly threaten the use of nuclear weapons in his post, referring only to missile launches. The Wall Street Journal reported this week that Israel alerted U.S. officials about new Iranian plots to kill Trump, as this newspaper reported in [Trump Speaks Out After U.S. Troops Killed in Iran Strike](/noticia/trump-speaks-out-after-us-troops-killed-in-iran-strike).

The president's security has been a recurring topic this year, following two assassination attempts during the 2024 election campaign and an incident in April where an armed man broke into a dinner. Recently, it was revealed that Trump flew part of his return to Washington from the NATO summit in Turkey aboard an older plane due to concerns about the missile detection systems on the new Air Force One.
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Fuente original: https://orlandoledgernews.com/noticia/trump-sugiere-orden-de-ataque-a-iran-pero-vance-tendria-la-decision-final