President Donald Trump made it clear on Tuesday that certain actions by Iran would result in the total destruction of the Iranian regime.
Speaking from the Oval Office after signing an executive order aimed at increasing pressure on Tehran, Trump stated that he has left instructions to respond with overwhelming force should Iran make any attempt on his life.
“They haven’t done that and that would be a terrible thing for them to do. Not because of me— if they did that, they would be obliterated. That would be the end. I’ve left instructions, if they do it, they get obliterated, there won’t be anything left. And, they shouldn’t be able to do it,” Trump said.
The warning follows an alarming revelation from the Department of Justice in November, which exposed an alleged Iranian plot to assassinate Trump during his campaign for the White House.
A criminal complaint detailed that Farhad Shakeri, 51, charged with murder-for-hire, admitted to FBI agents that he was directed by an Iranian official to focus on assassinating the president.
Trump did not hesitate to blame former President Joe Biden for failing to take a strong stance against Iran, criticizing his administration for not making it clear that any attack on an American leader would result in devastating consequences.
“Biden should have said that but he never did, I don’t know why. Lack of intelligence perhaps but he never said it,” Trump remarked.
“If that happens to a leader or close to a leader— frankly, if you had other people involved also—you would call for total obliteration of a state that did it. That would include Iran.”
Iran’s Nuclear Threat and Israel’s Security
When asked how close he believes Iran is to developing a nuclear weapon, Trump responded bluntly: “too close.”
“They’re pretty close,” he added, reaffirming long-standing concerns that Tehran is inching dangerously close to obtaining nuclear capabilities.
Later on Tuesday, Trump is scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, where the topic of Iran is expected to be central.
When asked whether he would approve an Israeli request for assistance in striking Iranian nuclear facilities, Trump remained measured but firm.
“I don’t know that that’s what he’s going to be asking for. I have no idea that it is you’re telling me. We’re going to have a pretty long meeting. We’ll be discussing a lot of things, not only that, but a lot of things. And I’ll let you know if the time comes to let you know. But right now, that’s not something that I can discuss,” Trump said.
