Former US president Donald Trump said on Wednesday that there were “big threats” on his life posed by Iran after the Republican presidential candidate’s campaign team said the United States intelligence warned him of “real and specific” threats from Tehran.
“Big threats on my life by Iran. The entire US military is watching and waiting,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
“Moves were already made by Iran that didn’t work out, but they will try again. … I am surrounded by more men, guns, and weapons than I have ever seen before,” he said, following increased scrutiny of the US Secret Service since two attempts on Trump’s life this year.
His campaign team said in a statement Tuesday that US intelligence had informed the former president of “real and specific” Iranian attempts to assassinate him.
It was unclear whether the threats mentioned by the campaign and Trump himself were new or had already been documented.
“President Trump was briefed earlier today by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence regarding real and specific threats from Iran to assassinate him in an effort to destabilise and sow chaos in the United States,” campaign communications director Steven Cheung said in the statement.
“Intelligence officials have identified that these continued and coordinated attacks have heightened in the past few months, and law enforcement officials across all agencies are working to ensure President Trump is protected and the election is free from interference,” he added.
The campaign did not elaborate on the assertions, which came as international leaders worked to keep tensions between Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel from growing into a larger regional war.
Iran has denied allegations that it is attempting to assassinate Trump this summer, shortly after a gunman opened fire at a rally in Pennsylvania, killing one and injuring the presidential candidate.
Days after the July 13 assassination attempt, US media reported that officials had obtained intelligence on an alleged Iranian plot against the Republican, necessitating increased protection for him. Iran dismissed the “malicious” claims.
“If they do ‘assassinate President Trump,’ which is always a possibility, I hope that America obliterates Iran and wipes it off the face of the earth. If that does not happen, American leaders will be considered ‘gutless’ cowards!” Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social, at the time.
US security agencies have also accused Iran of a hack targeting Trump’s campaign, claiming that Tehran is attempting to influence the 2024 election.
According to a joint statement issued this month by the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Iranian cyberattackers offered “stolen, non-public” material from Trump’s campaign to staff for his then-White House rival, President Joe Biden.
“Foreign actors are increasing their election influence activities” as election day in November approaches, the statement said, singling out Russia, Iran, and China as “trying by some measure to exacerbate divisions in US society for their own benefit.”
According to US intelligence, Iranian cyberattackers attempted to share stolen Trump campaign information with US media companies.
It didn’t name the outlets. Iran has vehemently refuted the charges.
On August 13, Trump’s presidential election competitor, Democrat Kamala Harris, announced that her campaign had also been attacked by foreign hackers but did not specify which country was suspected of being behind the attempt. Americans voted on November 5.
Polls suggest that Trump and Harris, who launched their campaigns after Biden stepped out earlier this summer, are neck and neck.
