President Donald Trump on Tuesday renewed a warning that Iran would be “wiped off the face of this earth” if it were to succeed in assassinating him, as tensions flared anew between Tehran and United States.
Speaking in an interview with Newsnation that aired Tuesday, Trump said he had issued firm instructions in response to alleged threats against his life.
“I have very firm instructions. Anything happens, they’re going to wipe them off the face of this earth,” Trump said when asked about Iranian threats toward the 79-year-old U.S. leader.
The comments came amid a sharp exchange of rhetoric in which both countries warned of severe retaliation should their leaders be targeted.
Earlier Tuesday, Iranian General Abolfazl Shekarchi, responding to potential threats against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali ,was quoted by Iranian state media as saying Tehran would respond forcefully if attacked.
“Trump knows that if a hand of aggression is extended toward our leader, we will not only sever that hand,” Shekarchi was quoted as saying. “We will set their world on fire and leave them no safe haven in the region.”
Trump issued a similar warning about Iran about a year ago, shortly after returning to the White House, when he told reporters that if such an attack occurred, “they get obliterated.”
Iran continues to grapple with the aftermath of widespread unrest following some of the largest anti-government protests since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Human rights groups say the scale of casualties remains difficult to verify.
The Human Rights Activists Agency has reported more than 4,000 confirmed deaths linked to the protests. The Norway-based Iran Human Rights NGO said verification efforts remain hampered by communication restrictions but warned this week that available information suggests the death toll could exceed even the highest media estimates, which have reached as high as 20,000.
