A chilling new escalation from Iran: a shadowy campaign known as “Blood Covenant” (also referred to as “Blood Pact” or “Ahde Khoun”) is claiming to have raised over $40 million as a bounty for anyone who assassinates former U.S. President Donald Trump.

What’s really happening?

• The campaign emerged shortly after Grand Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi issued a fatwa on June 29, labeling Trump (and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu) enemies of God and calling for their execution under Islamic law.
• The campaign’s website features Trump’s image in crosshairs, pledging the bounty as “justice” for those threatening the Shiite “Deputy of the Imam Mahdi.”
• Religious input and Quranic references frame the assassination campaign as an act of jihad, heightening global concerns.
• NEWS

  Iran’s ‘Blood Covenant’ raises a $40 million bounty for Trump’s Assassination.

  

  Published

  6 hours agoon

  July 15, 2025

  By

  Felicia Borst

  

  A chilling new escalation from Iran: a shadowy campaign known as “Blood Covenant” (also referred to as “Blood Pact” or “Ahde Khoun”) is claiming to have raised over $40 million as a bounty for anyone who assassinates former U.S. President Donald Trump.

  What’s really happening?

  • The campaign emerged shortly after Grand Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi issued a fatwa on June 29, labeling Trump (and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu) enemies of God and calling for their execution under Islamic law.
  • The campaign’s website features Trump’s image in crosshairs, pledging the bounty as “justice” for those threatening the Shiite “Deputy of the Imam Mahdi.”
  • Religious input and Quranic references frame the assassination campaign as an act of jihad, heightening global concerns.

  Who’s really behind it?

  • Investigations by intelligence analysts have linked the operation to Hossein Abbasifar, a former journalist with ties to Iran’s state media.
  • Digital forensic evidence, including metadata and communication trails, strongly points to Abbasifar as the likely architect of the “Blood Covenant” platform.
  • U.S. officials are exploring targeted sanctions and asset freezes in response to the identification.

  U.S. Response & security context

  • A senior U.S. State Department official confirmed that the administration is monitoring the threat and “committed to using every tool at our disposal, including sanctions.”
  • The U.S. Secret Service is maintaining elevated protective measures for former President Trump amid credible threat assessments.
  • The bounty campaign follows a pattern of escalating rhetoric from Iran, including previous threats of drone attacks and direct mentions of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence.

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  What it signifies

  This campaign reflects a dangerous evolution in geopolitical hostility—blending religious decrees, digital propaganda, and crowdfunding. It uses the guise of ideological justice to legitimize violence, marking a new chapter in asymmetric warfare.

  The initiative also demonstrates how extremist actors are increasingly weaponizing modern tools—social media, crypto donations, and online campaigns—to coordinate dangerous real-world threats.