'Wipe Them Off The Face Of This Earth': Trump Warns Iran Against Assassinating Him Amid Escalating Tensions

New Delhi: Amid escalating tensions and nationwide protests, US President Donald Trump issued a severe warning to Iran stating, "I have very firm instructions - anything happens, they're going to wipe them off the face of this earth," he said in an interview on NewsNation's "Katie Pavlich Tonight". 

On Tuesday, Iranian officials issued a stark warning to President Trump, cautioning him against targeting Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. 

This follows Trump's recent call for a transition in Iran's leadership, which he suggested should end the Ayatollah's nearly four-decade rule.

"Trump knows that if any hand of aggression is extended toward our leader, we not only cut that hand but also we will set fire to their world," General Abolfazl Shekarchi, a spokesperson for Iran's armed forces, said.

US-Iran Tensions

Tension between the U.S. and Iran has been high since a violent crackdown by authorities on protests that began over Iran’s ailing economy on Dec. 28. Trump has drawn two red lines for the Islamic Republic — the killing of peaceful protesters and Tehran conducting mass executions in the wake of the demonstrations.

Trump had previously said he's given his advisors instructions to obliterate Iran if the country is behind an assassination of him.

Protests in Iran

The death toll from the protests has reached at least 4,519 people, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said Tuesday. Khamenei said on Saturday that the protests had left “several thousand” people dead and blamed the United States.

More than 26,300 people have been arrested, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency.

Also Read: Car At 120 Kmph, Cigarette In Hand, And Loud Music: 4 Teens Die In Tragic Udaipur Car Crash