Speaking to the New York Post, Trump said Iran had wanted him dead for years but insisted there was no fresh intelligence suggesting an imminent assassination plot.
That's what we're dealing with," Trump told the New York Post.
"I'm their number one target," Trump said.
TRUMP SAYS IRAN SOUGHT TALKS, US AGREEDUS President Donald Trump 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, Trump wrote that Iran had sought further negotiations, but said Washington had made its position clear.
US President Donald Trump has claimed he has left instructions to launch an unprecedented military response against Iran if Tehran succeeds in assassinating him, saying the country would be bombed at levels that they've never seen before.
Speaking to the New York Post, Trump said Iran had wanted him dead for years but insisted there was no fresh intelligence suggesting an imminent assassination plot.
Read Full Story
"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."
The remarks came after reports suggested Israel had flagged intelligence about an alleged Iranian plot targeting the US president. Trump, however, 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 characteristically light-hearted remark, Trump added: "I hope you'll miss me."
Trump's latest remarks are consistent with comments he made earlier this week, when he claimed 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.
"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." Trump also reiterated that Iran must not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons and said he did not expect the conflict with Tehran to escalate into a prolonged war, insisting that any future flare-up would be brief.
According to 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, while the President survived an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Butler in July 2024, when a bullet grazed his ear.
TRUMP SAYS IRAN SOUGHT TALKS, US AGREED
US President Donald Trump 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, Trump wrote that Iran had sought further negotiations, but said Washington had made its position clear.
"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."
- Ends
