Trump: Bomb Them Like Never Before if Iran Assassinates Me
Trump's remarks come after the funeral of Iran's former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and amid reports of an alleged Iranian plot to assassinate the US President.
Washington DC: US President Donald Trump on Friday (local time) said he has "left instructions" to launch a massive military strike against Iran if Tehran succeeds in an alleged plot to assassinate him.
Speaking in an interview with the New York Post, Trump said Iran would be bombed "at levels they have never seen before" if such an attack were carried out.
"I've been on their list for a long time. That's what we're dealing with. The only thing is, I've left instructions -- if anything happens, to just literally bomb them at levels that they've never seen before," Trump told the newspaper.
He also denied reports claiming Israeli intelligence had warned him about an Iranian assassination plot.
"No, no. Israel came up with nothing. No, no, I've been No. 1 [on Iran's kill list] for a long time, and it's the way life is, you know," he said.
Trump's remarks come after the funeral of Iran's former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and amid reports of an alleged Iranian plot to assassinate the US President.
Khamenei was laid to rest at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad on Friday, 131 days after he was reportedly killed in joint US-Israel strikes in Iran.
Meanwhile, Trump said the US has agreed to continue talks with Iran after Tehran requested further negotiations, while reiterating that Washington considers the ceasefire between the two sides to be over.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran has asked us to continue 'talks.' We have agreed to do so, but the United States has stated to them, in no uncertain terms, that the Cease Fire is OVER!" Trump posted on Truth Social.
His comments come as Qatari negotiators travel to Iran in an effort to ease tensions and revive US-Iran talks.