President Donald Trump delivered an unusually blunt warning aimed at Iran’s leadership, saying the country would face catastrophic consequences if he were harmed, as reports continue to circulate about unrest and violence inside Iran.
Pressed about ongoing protests and alleged threats, Trump said Iranian leaders should stop escalating with “threats and provocations,” adding that he has already made his stance clear to Tehran.
Trump said he has issued direct instructions laying out an extreme response if an attack were carried out against him. “If anything ever happens, the whole country is going to get blown up,” he said. He then escalated the language further, saying Iran would be “wiped off the face of the earth.”
His remarks come as outside reports and allegations about Iran’s crackdown on protesters continue to spread, including claims of severe brutality. Trump referenced the ongoing repression while also addressing reports that an assassination threat had been made against him over the weekend, though he said he could not discuss specific security details or contingency planning.
Trump also took aim at former President Joe Biden, arguing that past threats should have been met with a more forceful public response. “Originally, Biden should have said something when they made that statement,” Trump said. “A president has to defend a president.” In Trump’s telling, failing to respond decisively only encourages hostile actors.
Framing his position as deterrence, Trump said he believes the United States should answer threats with overwhelming force—even if they were directed at someone other than himself. “If I were here and they were making that threat to someone—even if that person weren’t a president—I would absolutely hit them so hard,” he said.
The comments track with Trump’s broader hardline posture toward Iran and his recent calls for “new leadership” there. While U.S. officials have not announced imminent military action, the president’s rhetoric signals a willingness to escalate dramatically if American leaders or U.S. interests are targeted.
The warning is likely to reverberate beyond Washington, landing amid heightened tensions in the Middle East and intensified scrutiny of Iran’s internal repression, regional activities, and relationship with the United States.
