President Donald Trump has issued a stern warning to Iran, stating that continued assassination threats made by leaders in Tehran would result in the country getting “blown up.”
In an interview with NewsNation’s Katie Pavlich on “Katie Pavlich Tonight,” Trump said, “Well, they shouldn’t be doing it but I’ve left notification. Anything ever happens, we’re going to blow the whole — the whole country’s going to get blown up.”
Intelligence officials from the Biden administration briefed Trump about the alleged threats against him during his 2024 presidential campaign. Former Attorney General Merrick Garland attributed the plot to retaliation for the U.S. killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani in 2020, during Trump’s first term.
Trump criticized President Biden for not speaking out on the matter, saying, “But I have very firm instructions. Anything happens they’re going to wipe them off the face of this earth.”
Trump’s previous warning and executive order
The Hill reports how the president had previously stated that he left instructions to destroy Iran should the country assassinate him. This remark came after signing an executive order just after taking office, granting him all possible tools to engage with Iran’s government and apply maximum pressure on Tehran.
“They haven’t done that and that would be a terrible thing for them to do,” Trump said at the time. “Not because of me — if they did that, they would be obliterated. That would be the end. I’ve left instructions, if they do it, they get obliterated, there won’t be anything left. And, they shouldn’t be able to do it.”
Trump has warned that an attack on Iran is on the table following weeks of antigovernment protests that resulted in more than 3,300 deaths due to clashes with Iran’s security forces. He has also cautioned of military action if more demonstrators are executed but recently stated that he’s been told the killings have stopped.
Khamenei accuses U.S. of plotting against Iranian government
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has accused the U.S. of plotting against the Iranian government and backing the protests, claiming that the U.S. was attempting to “devour Iran.”
In a series of posts on the social platform X on Saturday, Khamenei wrote, “We do not intend to lead the country toward war. However, we will not just let go of the criminals inside the country either. Worse than the internal criminals are the international criminals! We will not let go of them either.”
As tensions between the U.S. and Iran continue to escalate, President Trump’s strong stance and warnings of military action underscore the high stakes involved in the ongoing conflict between the two nations.