Washington:US President Donald Trump has claimed that he has left instructions for the United States to launch an unprecedented military response against Iran if Tehran succeeds in , saying the country would be "bombed at levels that they've never seen before."
Trump told the New York Post there was no new intelligence about an impending assassination plot, but said Iran had wanted him dead for years.
Been on Iran's hit list for long: Trump“I’ve been on their list for a while. That’s what we’re looking at,” Trump told the New York Post.
He added: "The only thing is I've given instructions, if anything happens, just bomb them at levels that they've never seen before.
Trump’s comments came after reports that Israel had tipped intelligence about a suspected Iranian plot to target the US president. But he sought to downplay any suggestion of a new threat.
“No, no. Israel had nothing to come up with. “No, no,” Trump said. I’ve been Number 1 (on Iran’s kill list) for a long time and it’s the way life is.”
He added in a light moment during the interview, 'I hope you'll miss me.'
Iran's revenge vowTrump's latest comments echo what he said earlier this week when he said he was Iran's "number one target" and defended his administration's military action against Tehran. “I think Iran is plotting to kill me, but I will not be deadly afraid,” he said, speaking after the NATO summit.
Iran has publicly sought revenge on Trump since 2020, after he authorized the US drone strike that killed top Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani near Baghdad.
US authorities have also revealed several alleged Iran-linked plots to assassinate Trump in recent years. In July 2024, Trump narrowly escaped an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, when a bullet grazed his ear.
US-Iran talks statusTrump also said that Iran had asked to keep talking with the US but insisted that any ceasefire between the two nations was over.
Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social that Iran had sought further negotiations and that Washington had agreed to continue discussions. But he said the U.S. had laid out its position clearly.
“Islamic Republic of Iran has asked us to return to ‘talks. We have agreed to do so. But the United States has told them, in no uncertain terms, the Cease Fire is OVER! “Thank you for your attention to this matter,” he wrote.