"1,000 Missiles Locked and Loaded": Trump Warns Iran as Pakistan Races to Save the Truce

Diplomatic efforts to revive the fragile US-Iran peace process gained momentum on Saturday even as US President Donald Trump issued a fresh missile threat against Tehran, highlighting the uncertainty surrounding the truce brokered last month.

Trump, in an overnight Truth Social post, warned that " 1,000 missiles are locked and loaded and aimed at the Islamic Republic of Iran, with thousands more to immediately follow" if Tehran moved ahead with threats to assassinate him. He said orders had "already been given" for the US military to prepare for a year-long campaign aimed at "completely decimating and destroying" areas of Iran.

The warning came after the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , where some mourners carried placards calling for the killing of Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu . Iran’s newly appointed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei separately vowed to avenge his father’s death.

Amid rising tensions, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held separate phone conversations with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on Friday night. Sharif urged both leaders to uphold the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding signed on June 18 , calling for restraint from all sides to protect "hard-earned peace gains."

Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s willingness to continue playing a mediating role along with Qatar . Pezeshkian thanked Sharif, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar , and Field Marshal Asim Munir for attending Khamenei’s funeral, while Qatar’s Emir acknowledged Pakistan’s role in facilitating the process that led to the Bürgenstock technical talks last month.

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi , accompanied by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf , travelled to Muscat for discussions with Omani officials over arrangements concerning the Strait of Hormuz . Washington has been pushing Tehran to publicly guarantee that the strategic waterway remains open and free from restrictions.

Araghchi accused the US of violating the nuclear-related commitments under the memorandum, asserting that Iran had honoured its obligations . US officials indicated that negotiations could restart as early as Saturday, with envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner expected to engage with Tehran.