'Bomb Iran Like Never Before If I'm Assassinated': Trump Issues Stark Warning As Tehran Says 'We Have Zero Trust in US'

New Delhi:Tensions between the United States and Iran have escalated once again, with US President Donald Trump issuing one of his strongest warnings yet against Tehran, saying he has already “left instructions” to launch an unprecedented military strike on Iran if it succeeds in assassinating him.

In an interview, Trump said Iran has had him on its “kill list” for a long time and declared that any successful attempt on his life would trigger a devastating US response.

“I’ve been on their list for a long time. That’s what we’re dealing with. The only thing is, I’ve left instructions – if anything happens, to just literally bomb them at levels that they’ve never seen before,” Trump said.

Rejecting reports that Israeli intelligence had recently warned him of a fresh Iranian assassination plot, Trump insisted the threat was not new.

“No, no. Israel came up with nothing. No, no, I’ve been No. 1 on Iran’s kill list for a long time, and it’s the way life is, you know,” he added.

Trump’s remarks came just hours after Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf declared that Tehran has “zero trust” in the United States and is fully prepared for a “full-scale defence” if Washington violates the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two countries last month.

In an official Telegram post following his meeting with Indonesian People’s Consultative Assembly Speaker Ahmad Muzani, Ghalibaf revealed that he had directly conveyed Iran’s distrust to US Vice President JD Vance during the recent peace negotiations.

“During the negotiations, I made it clear to the Vice President of the United States that we have zero trust in you. In my view, only those prepared for war can negotiate with the U.S. We have never ceased our preparations to defend our country. The moment the Americans betray any understanding, we are prepared for a full-scale defence; we will stand firmly against them and will claim the rights of the Iranian nation,” Ghalibaf said.

The sharp exchange comes despite ongoing diplomatic efforts to revive dialogue between Washington and Tehran.

Earlier on Friday, Trump confirmed that the United States had agreed to continue talks after Iran requested fresh negotiations. However, he reiterated that Washington still considers the ceasefire between the two countries to be over.

“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 ceasefire is OVER!” Trump posted on Truth Social.

His comments coincided with the arrival of Qatari negotiators in Iran, who are attempting to de-escalate tensions and facilitate a fresh round of US-Iran negotiations. According to CNN, citing a diplomat familiar with the matter, the visit was coordinated with the United States as part of efforts to restart diplomatic engagement.

The renewed war of words also comes in the aftermath of the funeral of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was laid to rest at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, 131 days after being killed in joint US-Israel strikes on Iran.

With both Washington and Tehran publicly hardening their positions while simultaneously keeping diplomatic channels open, the latest statements underscore the fragile state of US-Iran relations, raising fresh concerns over whether negotiations can prevent another major military confrontation in the region.

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