President Donald Trump says Americans could face retaliation from Iran as the war expands in the Middle East. When he was asked whether people in the United States should fear attacks at home, the president paused and gave a blunt answer, “I guess.”
The remark came in a phone interview with Time Magazine. He was asked should Americans worry about Iranian strikes on U.S. soil?
“But I think they’re worried about that all the time,” he said. “We think about it all the time. We plan for it. But yeah, you know, we expect some things. Like I said, some people will die. When you go to war, some people will die.”
U.S. and Israeli forces lunched coordinated attacks inside Iran. They targeted military command sites and senior leadership figures. Among those killed was Iran’s longtime supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, who had ruled the country since 1989.
Trump, when asked if Americans should worry about Iran attacking the US:
“I guess… Like I said, some people will die… When you go to war, some people will die.” pic.twitter.com/E5f8halfkg
— Headquarters (@HQNewsNow) March 6, 2026
Iran said that it would strike back. The Pentagon confirmed that six U.S. service members were killed after an Iranian unmanned aircraft struck an American military facility in Kuwait.
So far, attacks have stayed overseas. Still, Trump’s short answer — “I guess” — drew attention in Washington because it acknowledged the possibility of warfare home.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth tried to reassure Americans during a briefing at U.S. Central Command in Florida this week. He said homeland security agencies are prepared. “I don’t have any concerns about whether or not the homeland will be covered down on,” he said.
At the same time, there is a switch of leadership at the Department of Homeland Security. Trump announced that Secretary Kristi Noem will leave the post at the end of March to work on a new regional initiative the administration calls the “Shield of the Americas.”
Late-night television quickly turned that news into punchlines. On The Tonight Show, Jimmy Fallon joked that Noem’s next assignment sounded “made up.” He added, “Even the FIFA Peace Prize was… that sounds made up.” Other hosts also mocked the sudden move, though the White House has offered few details about the program.
🇺🇸 “I guess the worst case is we do this and then somebody takes over who is as bad as the previous person. That could happen.” – Trump#Iran#IranWar pic.twitter.com/iyuAtF29Gl
— Commentary: Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) March 3, 2026
Meanwhile, Iranian officials are laser-focused on the war at hand. Foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said the country has plenty of American military targets closer to home. “They have enough soldiers, they have enough military assets, they have enough bases,” Araghchi said. “We don’t need to go beyond that.”
Trump has made clear the conflict will not end quickly. “I have no time limits on anything,” he said. “I want to get it done.” The president has also floated an unusual idea for what happens after Iran’s leadership collapse.
He says the United States should help shape who replaces Khamenei. “I’m not going through this to end up with another Khamenei,” Trump said. “I want to be involved in the selection.”
Some names are being tossed around as potential leaders. One possibility is Reza Pahlavi, the exiled crown prince whose father ruled Iran before the 1979 revolution. Another is Mojtaba Khamenei. He is the late leader’s son, who is an influential figure in Iran.
Back in the United States, the question from the interview still hangs in the air. Should Americans worry? Trump didn’t dismiss it. “I guess.”
