Trump Warns of Total Retaliation if Iran Targets Him Amid Rising U.S.–Iran Tensions

Washington: U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday issued one of his strongest warnings yet to Iran, declaring that the United States would “wipe out” the country if Tehran were to carry out an assassination attempt against him, as tensions between the two nations continue to escalate.

Speaking in an interview with NewsNation’s Katie Pavlich Tonight, Trump said he had given unequivocal instructions to U.S. authorities. “I have very firm instructions—if anything happens, they’re going to wipe them off the face of this earth,” he said, according to the Associated Press.

The remarks follow earlier statements in which Trump said he had directed his advisers to completely obliterate Iran if it were proven to be behind any attempt on his life. His comments come amid heightened unrest within Iran and increasingly sharp exchanges between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s leadership and its handling of widespread protests.

Iran, meanwhile, has issued its own warning. Tehran cautioned Trump against any action targeting Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has ruled the Islamic Republic for nearly four decades. General Abolfazl Shekarchi, a spokesperson for Iran’s armed forces, warned that any aggression against Iran’s leader would be met with severe retaliation. “Trump knows that if any hand of aggression is extended toward our leader, we not only cut that hand but also set fire to their world,” Shekarchi said, according to comments cited by the AP.

The exchange comes days after Trump sharply criticised Khamenei in an interview with Politico, describing him as “a sick man who should run his country properly and stop killing people,” and stating that “it’s time to look for new leadership in Iran.”

Tensions have remained high since Iranian authorities launched a violent crackdown on protests that erupted late last year over the country’s worsening economic conditions. Trump has said he has drawn two “red lines” for Tehran: the killing of peaceful protesters and the carrying out of mass executions in the aftermath of the demonstrations.

The scale of the unrest has been significant. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency estimates that at least 4,519 people have been killed during the protests, though there has been no independent official confirmation of the figure. Iranian officials have acknowledged thousands of deaths, with Khamenei himself stating over the weekend that “several thousand” people had died, while blaming the United States for fueling the unrest.

More than 26,300 people have reportedly been arrested, according to the same human rights group, raising international concern that some detainees could face execution. Iran is already among the world’s leading executioners, and statements from Iranian officials have intensified fears over the fate of those in custody.

Adding to the tension, U.S. military movements in the region have drawn attention. The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, previously operating in the South China Sea, has been observed transiting toward the Indian Ocean, accompanied by three destroyers. While U.S. Navy officials have declined to confirm that the strike group is bound for the Middle East, its current position and trajectory suggest it is only days away from the region.