President Joe Biden has issued a stark warning to Iran, stating that any assassination attempt on Former President Donald Trump or other ex-US officials would be considered an act of war, The Washington Post reports. This comes as Trump's campaign claims he has been briefed by US intelligence on specific threats from Iran to assassinate him, according to the BBC.
The Biden administration has been monitoring Iranian threats against Trump for several years, according to National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett. "Should Iran attack any of our citizens, including those who continue to serve the United States or those who formerly served, Iran will face severe consequences," Savett said.
A senior Biden administration official revealed that the president sent a message "to the highest levels" of the Iranian government, urging them to cease plotting against Trump and former US officials. The US has specifically cautioned Iran against targeting Trump, former National Security Advisor John Bolton, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Brian Hook, the Trump administration's special representative for Iran.
Trump took to social media platform X to address the situation. "Big threats on my life by Iran," he posted. "Moves were already made by Iran that didn't work out, but they will try again. I'm surrounded by more men, guns, and weapons than ever before. Thank you to Congress for unanimously approving more money to the Secret Service. An attack on a former President is a death wish for the attacker!"
Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung stated, "Intelligence officials have identified that these continued and coordinated attacks have heightened in the past few months." He added that law enforcement across agencies are working to ensure Trump's protection and a fair election.
TRUMP: BIG THREATS ON MY LIFE BY IRAN
"Iran has already made moves against me, and they will try again.
I'm surrounded by more men, guns, and weapons than ever before.
Thank you to Congress for unanimously approving more money to the Secret Service.
An attack on a former… pic.twitter.com/1o0PR2xCnC
— ChazzP12 (@ChazzP12) September 26, 2024
These warnings come after Trump survived an assassination attempt on July 13, when he was wounded, and another person was killed in a shooting at a Pennsylvania rally. On September 15, another incident occurred when a Secret Service agent spotted a rifle near Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach. US prosecutors have since charged Ryan Wesley Routh with an attempted assassination of a presidential candidate in connection with this event.
The Trump campaign last month claimed some of its internal communications had been hacked, suggesting Iranian operatives were behind the breach. In 2022, the US Justice Department charged a member of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps with plotting to kill John Bolton, allegedly in retaliation for the US strike that killed Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani.
