THIS is the moment Donald Trump threatened to "blow Iran to smithereens" if the Islamic Republic is trying to have him killed.
Claims that he is facing a "real and specific" danger to his life prompted the former president, 78, to deliver a stern warning to the Iranian regime, threatening to retaliate with force.
During an address in crucial battleground state North Carolina, Trump threatened to strike Iran's biggest cities if any harm came to a presidential candidate.
He said on Wednesday: “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.
"We're going to blow it to smithereens. You can't do that. And there would be no more threats," he added.
Trump's speech at the furniture factory in Mint Hill comes as US intelligence officers informed the former President and his advisors on the danger Iran poses to their lives.
Reports state that authorities have noticed an increasing threat that has "heightened in the past few months."
The campaign did not provide further details on the allegations, which come as international pressure mounts on Iran to lower the high levels of tension in Lebanon, where Israel has been targeting locations linked to the Tehran-backed terror group Hezbollah.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken earlier on Wednessday stated that the US government is "intensely tracking" Iran's continuous threat against US officials, both past and present.
Law enforcement authorities have reportedly been worried about Iran's ongoing threat to try and kill former Trump administration officials and the former president himself, CNN reports.
According to Trump, who survived a second assassination attempt earlier this month, it didn't matter if the candidate under danger was a Democrat or a Republican.
But he emphasised that neither Vice President Kamala Harris nor President Joe Biden has the strength to respond with the kind of fury he would.
In his speech, Trump continued: “But right now we don’t have that leadership or the necessary people, the necessary leaders.”
The Republican candidate went on to thank Democrats in Congress for their vote in favour of a law that guarantees Ms. Harris and him the same level of Secret Service protection as the sitting president.
“Thank you to Congress for unanimously approving far more money to Secret Service - Zero “NO” Votes, strictly bipartisan,” Trump said.
“Nice to see Republicans and Democrats get together on something.”
Iran denied claims of attempting to assassinate Trump earlier this summer, just after a gunman opened fire at a rally in Pennsylvania, killing one person and injuring the presidential candidate.
His security was increased days after the July 13 assassination attempt, according to US media, which said that authorities had learnt of an alleged Iranian plan against the Republican.
The claims were deemed "malicious" by Iran but the former president issued a statement on his Truth Social platform on Wednesday morning, warning that Iran may make another attempt on his life.
Trump said: “Big threats on my life by Iran. The entire US Military is watching and waiting. Moves were already made by Iran that didn’t work out, but they will try again. Not a good situation for anyone."
It comes after Iran reportedly refused Hezbollah's request to attack Israel as the "timing isn't right", two Israeli officials have claimed.
They told US news outlet Axios that the request was turned down because Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is in New York for the UN general assembly.
Iran was allegedly instructed to carry out the strike by Hezbollah leaders as payback for the assassination of Hamas's political chief, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran two months ago, reports
It comes after a third day of cross-border rocket fire by both Hezbollah and the Israeli military this week, which contributed to the escalation of hostilities between the two groups.
On Monday, Pezeshkian told reporters that Iran did not want to fall into this "trap" and that Israel was targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon in an effort to spark a larger regional conflict.
The IDF have been instructed not to undertake any attacks that may encourage Iran to join the increasingly intense confrontation, according to a senior Israeli official.
Although a significant reaction has not yet occurred, Iran's senior military and political figures have pledged time and again to avenge the July killing of Hamas's leader on Iranian soil.
Iran attacked Israel directly for the first time in April, firing at least 350 missiles, most of which were intercepted by Israel and a coalition led by the United States.
Speaking to CNN this week, the Iranian president reaffirmed his nation's backing for Hezbollah and accused the West of helping Israel defend itself following the terror assaults by Hamas on October 7.
He said: “Hezbollah cannot stand alone against a country that is being defended and supported and supplied by Western countries, by European countries and the United States."
Hezbollah began striking Israel on October 8, one day after the terror attack by Hamas.
But tensions spiked when many pagers and walkie-talkies burst last week, killing dozens of the terror group's fighters and injuring thousands more.
Israel began "Operation Northern Arrows" on Monday, and since then, it has attacked Hezbollah locations in Lebanon several times.
The Lebanese health officials report that the operation has resulted in the deaths of at least 600 people.
