US President Donald Trump has renewed his warning to Iran, saying the country would face total destruction if it ever succeeded in carrying out a threat against his life.
Speaking in an interview with News Nation aired on Tuesday, Trump said he had issued clear instructions that Iran would be “wiped off the face of this earth” should any assassination attempt against him be successful.
“I have very firm instructions. If anything happens, they’re going to wipe them off the face of this earth,” Trump said, responding to questions about alleged threats to his life.
The comments come amid escalating rhetoric between Washington and Tehran, with both sides issuing stark warnings over potential attacks on their respective leaders.
Earlier on Tuesday, Iranian General Abolfazl Shekarchi warned that Iran would respond decisively to any threat against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He was quoted by Iranian state media as saying Trump was fully aware that Tehran would not hesitate to retaliate if its leadership were targeted.
“Trump knows that if a hand of aggression is extended toward our leader, we will not only sever that hand, and this is not a mere slogan,” Shekarchi said. “We will set their world on fire and leave them no safe haven in the region.”
Trump had issued similar warnings last year shortly after returning to the White House, telling reporters at the time that Iran would be “obliterated” if such an attack occurred.
Meanwhile, Iran continues to grapple with the aftermath of widespread unrest triggered by economic hardship and political discontent. The country has witnessed some of the largest anti-government protests since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Human rights organisations are still working to verify the death toll from the crackdown on protesters. The Human Rights Activists News Agency has reported more than 4,000 confirmed deaths, while the Norway-based Iran Human Rights group says restrictions on communication have made independent verification difficult. The group noted, however, that available evidence suggests the number of those killed may exceed even the highest media estimates, which have placed the figure as high as 20,000.
The protests began in December after Iran’s currency fell to a historic low, fueling public anger over economic conditions under the leadership of the 86-year-old supreme leader, who has long resisted calls for democratic reform.
Members of Iran’s diaspora have intensified calls for international action against Tehran’s leadership. Exiled Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi has urged the United States to consider “highly targeted actions” against Iran’s supreme leader and senior commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
