U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he has instructed his advisers to destroy Iran if it attempts to kill him.
He made this remark while speaking to journalists during the signing of an executive order urging the U.S. government to exert maximum pressure on Tehran.
“If they (Iran – ed.) do it, they will be destroyed,” Trump declared.
“I have left instructions—if they do it, they will be destroyed, and nothing will be left,” he added.
The report noted that U.S. federal authorities have been monitoring Iranian threats against Trump and other officials for years.
Trump aims to revive his “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran to prevent Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons and to bring its oil exports to zero.
During his election campaign, Trump criticized former U.S. President Joe Biden’s policies, arguing that Biden’s leniency on oil export sanctions weakened Washington and emboldened Tehran, allowing it to sell oil, accumulate cash, and expand its nuclear ambitions and influence through armed militias.
In September, U.S. intelligence officials warned Trump of real threats to his life coming from Iran. An investigation into these threats is ongoing, with three individuals already charged.
In November, The Wall Street Journal reported that Iran had allegedly given the Biden administration written assurances in October that it would not attempt to assassinate Trump. Trump is known for his tough stance on Iran. He reinstated sanctions against the Iranian regime and, in 2020, ordered the killing of high-ranking Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps General Qassem Soleimani.
