US President Donald Trump warned on Tuesday that Iran would face complete destruction if it tried to assassinate him, stating that he had instructed his advisers to take appropriate action.
He made these comments while signing an executive order to increase pressure on Tehran, saying that if an assassination attempt were made, there would be nothing left of Iran.
Trump also pointed out that if he were killed, Vice President JD Vance would assume the presidency but would not be bound to follow Trump’s instructions.
The US government has been monitoring Iranian threats against Trump and other officials for years, particularly after Trump authorized the 2020 strike that killed Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s Quds Force.
Security measures were intensified before a Pennsylvania campaign rally in July due to Iranian threats against Trump, and although he was shot in the ear at the event, officials did not attribute the incident to Iran.
Additionally, the Justice Department announced in November that it had disrupted an Iranian plot to assassinate Trump before the election, accusing Iranian officials of directing Farhad Shakeri, a 51-year-old man, to carry out surveillance and plan the assassination. Shakeri remains in Iran.
