Donald Trump
Donald TrumpREUTERS/Brendan McDermid

Former US President and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Iran should be blown "to smithereens" if it is involved in the harming of a US White House candidate or ex-president.

"As you know, there have been two assassination attempts on my life that we know of, and they may or may not involve -- but possibly do -- Iran," Trump said at a campaign event in North Carolina, as quoted by AFP.

"If I were the president, I would inform the threatening country, in this case Iran, that if you do anything to harm this person, we are going to blow your largest cities and the country itself to smithereens," he added.

Trump went on to say he and the United States have been "threatened very directly by Iran" and that a firm message needed to reach Tehran that there would be the most severe consequences should it be involved in plots to kill or hurt a US president or presidential candidate.

"The best way to do it is through the office of the president, that (if) you do any attacks on former presidents or candidates for president, your country gets blown to smithereens, as we say," stated Trump.

Trump’s comments came a day after his campaign stated that he had been briefed on “real and specific threats from Iran to assassinate him in an effort to destabilize and sow chaos in the United States."

The campaign said that “continued and coordinated attacks have heightened in the past few months" and that d “law-enforcement officials across all agencies are working to ensure President Trump is protected and the election is free from interference."

Trump later accused Iran of engaging in "big threats" on his life, writing on his Truth Social platform, "Big threats on my life by Iran. The entire U.S. Military is watching and waiting. Moves were already made by Iran that didn’t work out, but they will try again. Not a good situation for anyone".

He added, "I am surrounded by more men, guns, and weapons than I have ever seen before. Thank you to Congress for unanimously approving far more money to Secret Service - Zero 'NO' Votes, strictly bipartisan. Nice to see Republicans and Democrats get together on something. An attack on a former President is a Death Wish for the attacker!"

In July, US media reported that the US Secret Service had increased security for Trump weeks ago after authorities learned of an Iranian plot to kill him, although it was not linked to the attempt on his life at a rally in Pennsylvania.

Days later, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, "If they do 'assassinate President Trump,' which is always a possibility, I hope that America obliterates Iran, wipes it off the face of the Earth - If that does not happen, American Leaders will be considered 'gutless' cowards!"

Iran, which has denied plotting to assassinate Trump, has in the past vowed revenge against Trump for ordering the 2020 drone strike in Baghdad which eliminated top Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) commander Qassem Soleimani.

Iran in 2020 issued an arrest warrant against Trump and asked for Interpol's aid in detaining him in the killing of Soleimani.

Interpol swiftly rejected the request, saying its guidelines for notices forbids it from "any intervention or activities of a "political" nature.

In 2022, an animated video published on the website of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei depicted the assassination of Trump.