Donald Trump faces ‘real and specific’ threats from Iran

US intelligence has warned Donald Trump of ‘real and specific’ threats from Iran to assassinate him, his presidential campaign says.

US Secret Service officers look at the stage before the arrival of Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Wilmington, North Carolina. Picture: Getty Images

US intelligence has warned Donald Trump of “real and specific” threats from Iran to assassinate him, his presidential campaign said overnight on Tuesday.

“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 destabilise and sow chaos in the United States,” Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung said.

“Intelligence officials have identified that these continued and co-ordinated attacks have heightened in the past few months, and law enforcement officials across all agencies are working to ensure President Trump is protected and the election is free from interference.”

The campaign did not elaborate on the claims, which come as international pressure increases on Iran to reduce soaring tensions in Lebanon, where Israel has carried out a bombing campaign against sites belonging to Lebanese group Hezbollah which is backed by Tehran.

Mr Trump said on Wednesday there were “big threats” on his life posed by Iran. “Big threats on my life by Iran. The entire U.S. Military is watching and waiting,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform. “Moves were already made by Iran that didn’t work out, but they will try again. ... I am surrounded by more men, guns, and weapons than I have ever seen before,” he said, following increased scrutiny of the US Secret Service since two attempts on Mr Trump’s life this year.

Iran rejected accusations that it is trying to kill Mr Trump earlier this year, shortly after a gunman opened fire at a rally in Pennsylvania, killing one person and wounding the presidential candidate.

Days after the July 13 assassination attempt, US media reported that authorities had received intelligence on an alleged Iranian plot against the Republican nominee, prompting his protection to be boosted. Iran rejected the “malicious” accusations.

“If they do ‘assassinate President Trump’, which is always a possibility, I hope that America obliterates Iran, wipes it off the face of the Earth. If that does not happen, American leaders will be considered ‘gutless’ cowards!” Mr Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social, at the time.

It was not immediately clear if the threats referred to by the campaign on Tuesday were new or the threats that had been previously reported.

The US has also accused Iran of a hack targeting Mr Trump’s campaign, alleging Tehran is seeking to influence the 2024 election. Earlier this month, US authorities said Iranian cyber attackers had offered “stolen, non-public” material from Mr Trump’s campaign to staff for his then White House rival, Joe Biden.

“Foreign actors are increasing their election influence activities” as election day in November approaches, the US statement said, singling out Russia, Iran and China as “trying by some measure to exacerbate divisions in US society for their own benefit”.

The US agencies said the Iranian cyberattackers had also attempted to share the information stolen from the Trump campaign with US media organisations. It did not name the outlets.

AFP