‘Big threats on my life by Iran’: Donald Trump says ‘attack on ex-President is death wish for...’

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was briefed on Tuesday by US intelligence officials regarding alleged threats from Iran to assassinate him, according to his campaign, Reuters reported.

“President Trump was briefed earlier today by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence regarding real and specific threats from Iran to assassinate him in an effort to destabilize and sow chaos in the United States,” the campaign said in a statement.

The campaign said that intelligence officials have identified that Iranian threats have “heightened in the past few months”, and US government officials were working to protect Trump and ensure the elections were not impacted.

Also Read: US intelligence warns Donald Trump of ‘real, specific’ Iran assassination threats: Campaign

Trump said later on his Truth Social site there were “big threats” on his life by Iran, adding Iranian moves did not succeed “but they will try again.”

He added, “Not a good situation for anyone. 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!”

Iran has previously denied U.S. claims of interference in American affairs. The Iranian permanent mission to the United Nations in New York did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.

An ODNI spokesperson confirmed the briefing but did not provide specific details.

Also Read: Iran linked to Donald Trump’s assassination plot? Iranian minister says ‘it is our natural right...’

Earlier this month, a Pakistani man with alleged ties to Iran pleaded not guilty to charges related to an alleged plot to assassinate an American politician in retaliation for the US killing of Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani in 2020. The defendant mentioned Trump as a potential target, but sources indicated that he did not intend for the scheme to target the former president specifically.

Federal authorities are conducting a separate investigation into an apparent assassination attempt on Trump at his Florida golf course in mid-September, as well as a shooting incident involving the Republican presidential candidate at a rally in Pennsylvania on July 13. There has been no indication of Iranian involvement in either case.

Also Read: Donald Trump survives 2nd assassination attempt in Florida; Republican presidential nominee says he is ‘safe and well’

Last week, US government agencies reported that Iranian hackers sent emails containing stolen material from Trump's campaign to individuals associated with Democratic President Joe Biden's re-election campaign. This was part of an alleged broader effort by Tehran to influence the U.S. election.

Biden stepped aside as a candidate in late July and was succeeded by Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, who is now in a tight race against Trump for the November 5 elections.

Also Read: ‘Joe Biden knew we didn’t have.…’: Donald Trump blames US President, Kamala Harris over Pennsylvania rally shooting

In August, the United States accused Iran of conducting cyber operations against the campaigns of both U.S. presidential candidates, which Iran denied.

Tehran has long claimed that Washington has interfered in its affairs for decades, citing historical events such as the 1953 coup against a prime minister and the 2020 US drone strike that killed its military commander.

(With inputs from Reuters)