President Donald Trump declared that he has instructed his advisers to “obliterate” Iran if the country attempts to assassinate him. “If they did that, they would be obliterated,” Trump stated while signing an executive order to impose maximum pressure on Tehran. “I’ve left instructions—if they do it, they get obliterated. There won’t be anything left.”
Federal authorities have monitored Iranian threats against Trump and other officials for years. The threats stem from Trump’s 2020 decision to order the killing of Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s Quds Force. A recent security threat led to heightened precautions ahead of a July campaign rally in Pennsylvania, where Trump was shot in the ear. However, US officials did not find direct Iranian involvement in the attack.
Iranian Plot Against Trump Thwarted
In November, the U.S. Department of Justice revealed it had thwarted an Iranian plot to assassinate Trump before the presidential election. The department accused Farhad Shakeri, a 51-year-old Iranian operative, of surveilling Trump for an eventual attack. Shakeri, believed to be working for Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, remains at large in Iran.
Shakeri allegedly received direct orders from Iranian officials to abandon other assignments and develop an assassination plan within seven days. According to a complaint unsealed in federal court in Manhattan, he maintained a network of criminal associates involved in surveillance and murder-for-hire operations.
Iran Denies Allegations
Iranian officials dismissed the US accusations, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei calling them an attempt by “Israel-linked circles” to complicate Iran-US relations. Despite the denials, US intelligence agencies remain cautious about Iranian activities targeting former and current officials.
Trump recently revoked government security protection for former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former national security adviser John Bolton, and ex-special envoy Brian Hook. All three faced threats from Iran due to their aggressive stances against the Islamic Republic during Trump’s first term.
With tensions escalating, Trump’s warnings signal that any attack against him would trigger severe retaliation, further straining US-Iran relations.
(With AP inputs)