Trump warns Iran would be ‘wiped off the face of the Earth’ if anything happens to him

President Donald Trump on Tuesday once again issued a warning to Iran, saying the country would be erased “off the face of this earth” if it ever managed to assassinate him.

The remarks came amid an exchange of strong threats between Washington and Tehran, with both sides signalling the possibility of large-scale conflict if leaders from either country are targeted.

In an interview with News Nation that aired on Tuesday, Trump said he had issued clear directives regarding any threat to his life. “I have very firm instructions. Anything happens, they’re going to wipe them off the face of this earth,” he said, responding to a question about alleged threats from Iran against the 79-year-old US president.

Earlier the same day, Iranian General Abolfazl Shekarchi reacted to reports of threats against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warning that Iran 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, and this is not a mere slogan,” Shekarchi was quoted as saying by Iranian state media.

He added that Iran’s response would go far beyond words. “But we will set their world on fire and leave them no safe haven in the region.”

Trump has issued similar warnings in the past. Shortly after returning to the White House last year, he told reporters that if Iran carried out such an act, “if they do it, they get obliterated.”

Meanwhile, Iran continues to deal with the aftermath of widespread unrest following some of the largest anti-government protests since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Human rights organisations are still verifying casualty figures, while the Human Rights Activists News Agency has reported more than 4,000 confirmed deaths linked to the protests.