President Biden is resisting Republican demands to warn Iran in no uncertain terms that killing former President Trump would be an act of war.
The White House declined to comment on the specific demands but referred to a statement on the recent Iranian threats to Trump’s life.
“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.
Savitt said Iran has long sought revenge against Trump and his officials for the killing of Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani in January 2020.
“We have ensured that appropriate agencies are continuously and promptly providing the former president’s security detail with evolving threat information. 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 BRIEFED ON ‘REAL AND SPECIFIC’ THREATS TO ASSASSINATE HIM
President Biden is resisting Republican demands to warn Iran in no uncertain terms that killing President Trump would be an act of war. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
On Tuesday, top U.S. intelligence officials briefed Trump about threats from Iran to assassinate him, his campaign said.
On Wednesday, Trump prodded Biden to warn Iran it was risking hot war with the U.S. with such threats.
“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.
Trump said he and the nation had been “threatened very directly by Iran” and the regime needed to know the consequences of harming a U.S. political candidate.
“The best way to do it is through the office of the president, that [if] you do any attacks on former presidents or candidates for president, your country gets blown to smithereens, as we say.”
The White House said Iran has long been seeking revenge on Trump and his officials for the killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, center. (Press Office of Iranian Supreme Leader/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
President of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian addresses the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)
House Intelligence Chair Mike Turner also demanded Biden warn Iran.
“President Biden and Vice President Harris must make it clear to Iran that any attempt on President Trump’s life would be an act of war,” the Ohio Republican said in a statement Thursday.
But it comes as Middle East watchers believe Iran could be weeks to months away from the capacity to build a nuclear weapon – fast approaching the capability to enrich uranium to the 90% threshold and with renewed activity at two nuclear weapons test sites.
Trump also called it “strange” to see that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was in New York this week and was offered substantial protection as he attended the United Nations General Assembly.
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“We have large security forces guarding him, and yet they’re threatening our former president and the leading candidate to become the next president of the United States,” Trump said, referring to himself.
The U.S. is obligated to offer security to foreign heads of state at the General Assembly under its treaty with the U.N.
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Iran recently hacked the Trump campaign and obtained information that it then peddled to the Biden campaign and the media, U.S. intelligence officials revealed last week.
Pezeshkian, who took office in July, ran on a platform suggesting that he would moderate the regime to get sanctions lifted from the West.