'I've been on their list for a long time': Trump says Iran to face unprecedented bombing if he's assassinated

Against the backdrop of tense US-Iran relations, US President Donald Trump has said he has left instructions for an unprecedented military response if Tehran succeeds in assassinating him. Speaking to the New York Post, Trump said Iran had wanted him dead for years and warned that the country would be bombed at levels that they've never seen before if anything happened to him.

Trump also said Iran had asked to continue talks with the United States, but asserted that any ceasefire between the two countries had ended. In a Truth Social post, he said Washington had agreed to continue talks while making its position clear.

According to the New York Post, Trump said there was no fresh intelligence suggesting an imminent assassination plot, even after reports that Israel had flagged intelligence about an alleged Iranian plot targeting him. "I've been on their list for a long time. That's what we're dealing with," Trump told the New York Post. He added: "The only thing is, I've left instructions, if anything happens, to just literally bomb them at levels that they've never seen before."

DON'T MISS | White House prepares for multi-day exchange of fire with Iran over Hormuz: Report

Trump dismissed suggestions that any new threat had emerged. "No, no. Israel came up with nothing. No, no," he said. "I've been No 1 (on Iran's kill list) for a long time, and it's the way life is." In a light-hearted remark, Trump added: "I hope you'll miss me."

His latest remarks are in line with comments he made earlier this week, when he said he was Iran's "number one target" and defended his administration's military action against Tehran. Speaking after the Nato summit in Ankara on Wednesday, Trump said he believed Iran could be plotting to assassinate him but insisted he would not be intimidated.

DO CHECKOUT | Energy, aviation, insurance, automobile: What could be impacted as US-Iran war restarts

"I'm their number one target," Trump said. "They had leaders, they're gone. Now they have another set of leaders. They may be gone. And you know what, I may be gone too, because I'm their number one target." He also repeated that Iran must not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons and said he did not expect the conflict with Tehran to turn into a prolonged war, adding that any future flare-up would be brief.

According to a report by The New York Post, Iran has openly sought revenge against Trump since 2020, when he authorised the US drone strike that killed top Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani near Baghdad. US authorities have also disclosed multiple alleged Iranian-linked assassination plots targeting Trump in recent years. Trump also survived an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Butler in July 2024, when a bullet grazed his ear.

On talks with Tehran, Trump wrote on Truth Social: "The Islamic Republic of Iran has asked us to continue 'talks.' We have agreed to do so, but the United States has stated to them, in no uncertain terms, that the Cease Fire is OVER! Thank you for your attention to this matter."