(Headline USA) The White House declined to say this week whether it would consider the assassination of former President Donald Trump by Iran to be an act of war.
Trump was briefed this week on an Iranian plot to assassinate him, which U.S. security officials have been aware of since at least July.
After the briefing, Trump urged President Joe Biden to make it clear to Iran that the regime is risking war with the U.S. if it continues to target his life and the lives of former officials who worked in the Trump administration.
“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.
“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.
When asked whether the Biden administration agreed that the U.S. would have to take military action against Iran if Iranian operatives killed Trump, Biden’s National Security Council avoided giving a direct answer.
“We consider this a national and homeland security matter of the highest priority, and we strongly condemn Iran for these brazen threats,” National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savitt said, according to Fox News.
“We have ensured that appropriate agencies are continuously and promptly providing the former president’s security detail with evolving threat information,” Savitt added. “Additionally, President Biden has reiterated his directive that the United States Secret Service should receive every resource, capability and protective measure required to address those evolving threats to the former president.”
Trump’s campaign argued the Iranian threats on the former president prove the regime is “terrified” that he might return to power after November’s election.
“Make no mistake, the terror regime in Iran loves the weakness of Kamala Harris, and is terrified of the strength and resolve of President Trump,” said Steven Cheung, Trump’s communications director. “He will let nothing stop him or get in his way to fight for the American people and to ‘Make America great again.'”
