US President Donald Trump has issued a stern warning to Iran, saying the Islamic Republic would cease to exit if it targets American officials. The fresh threat came after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was moved to a military base from his residence in Washington following threats to his life by Iran.
Speaking to Salem News Channel in a telephonic interview on Thursday (local time), the Republican leader said the United States would not hesitate is using military force against Iran if it threatens American allies in the Middle East.
"They will not exist any longer," Trump warned when asked about Iran's threat to Bessent.
Furthermore, Trump emphasised that he would consider it his defeat if Iran's current regime stays in power after his second term concludes. But, he underlined that Iran would certainly be defeated and asserted that the US has made a lot of its military operation against Tehran.
"Yes, that would be a defeat," Trump said, "Yep, I would say that would be a defeat. Absolutely."
"We're doing very well with it right now, we're taking out more oil now than we did before the, if you call it a war, before the war started. We're taking out more oil. And think about the war. We've been fighting at a pretty rapid clip for three weeks, not seven months, for three weeks. Nobody's been killed in the last five months," Trump added.
Trump's remarks come as the tensions continue in the Middle East. Israel's outgoing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants the US to resume its strikes on Iran, but Trump is facing pressure from regional leaders to maintain the status quo.
Earlier this week, he also assured that he will ensure the situation does not escalate further. However, he said leaders of United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Kuwait have underlined that Iran cannot be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon.
Iran, on its part, has always maintained that its nuclear programme is focussed on civilian use and not to make nukes. It has also warned the US that a peace deal cannot be finalised unless Washington accepts all of its seven demands, including lifting the blockade, and unfreezing all Iranian assets.
