Trump Warns Iran of ‘Total Obliteration’ if They Try To Harm Him
President Donald Trump warned Iran that continued assassination threats made by leaders in Tehran would be met with the country getting “blown up” and “total obliteration.”
“Well, they shouldn’t be doing it but I’ve left notification,” Trump said. “Anything ever happens, we’re going to blow the whole — the whole country’s going to get blown up.”
Biden-era Intelligence officials briefed Trump about the alleged threats against him during his presidential campaign in 2024. Former Attorney General Merrick Garland said the plot was retaliation for the killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani by the U.S. in 2020, during Trump’s first administration.
Despite being briefed by his administration, Trump on Tuesday said President Biden “should have said something” on the matter, adding that presidents should defend each other on such matters.
“But I have very firm instructions,” Trump continued. “Anything happens, they’re going to wipe them off the face of this earth.”
Trump also spoke about the ongoing negotiations between the United States and Iran in Geneva.
“What are you expecting from these Iran talks in Geneva?” a reporter asked Trump aboard Air Force One.
“So, I’ll be involved in those talks indirectly, and they’ll be very important. We’ll see what can happen. Typically, Iran’s a very tough negotiator; they’re good negotiators — or bad negotiators. I would say they’re bad negotiators because we could have had a deal instead of sending the B2s to knock out their nuclear potential. We had to send the B2s. I hope they’re going to be more reasonable. They want to make a deal,” Trump said.
“Have you been told that a deal is next to impossible?” the reporter followed up.
Trump replied, “No. I think they want to make a deal. I don’t think they want the consequences of not making a deal. They want to make a deal.”
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Trump previously said that he instructed officials to destroy Iran if they killed him.
The president said this after signing an executive order right after taking office that gave him all the tools he needed to talk to Iran’s government and put as much pressure on Tehran as possible.
“They haven’t done that and that would be a terrible thing for them to do,” Trump said at the time. “Not because of me — if they did that, they would be obliterated. That would be the end. I’ve left instructions, if they do it, they get obliterated, there won’t be anything left. And, they shouldn’t be able to do it.”
Trump warned last week that the United States could send additional warships toward Iran if ongoing diplomatic negotiations fail to produce a deal, signaling that military pressure could increase as talks over Tehran’s nuclear program stall.
In remarks to Axios, Trump said the administration is considering deploying a second aircraft carrier strike group to the region in addition to the USS Abraham Lincoln and 9 additional warships already positioned near Iran, though he expressed hope that a diplomatic agreement can still be reached.
“Either we will make a deal or we will have to do something very tough like last time,” the president told Axios on Tuesday, a reference to the bombing of three Iranian nuclear sites in June.
“Last time they didn’t believe I would do it. They overplayed their hand,” Trump added. “We have an armada that is heading there and another one might be going.”
The president emphasized that the United States is seeking to persuade Iran to curb its nuclear ambitions, halt the development of its ballistic missile program, and end support for militant proxy groups. Iranian officials have so far resisted expanding negotiations beyond nuclear-related issues.
He described the nuclear issue as a “matter of course” part of any negotiation, but also insisted that an agreement with Iran must also address Tehran’s ballistic missile stockpiles, per Axios.
Trump said the US “can make a great deal with Iran,” and Tehran “very much wants to make a deal.”
Trump’s comments came ahead of a planned visit to Washington, D.C. by Benjamin Netanyahu, who is expected to press for a tougher U.S. stance and broader terms for any Iran deal that would include constraints on Tehran’s missile capabilities and regional activities.
Before heading to DC, the Israeli leader previewed some of what he and Trump were going to discuss.
“I will present to the president our understanding of the principles of the negotiations (with Iran) – the essential principles that are important not only to Israel – but to everyone who wants peace and security in the Middle East,” Netanyahu told reporters, per the New York Post.
The administration has already bolstered its military presence in the Middle East, with multiple warships and aircraft deployed as a means of deterrence and leverage.
John Kennedy’s Latest Comments Have Reopened the Epstein Debate in a Big Way
John Kennedy’s Latest Comments Have Reopened the Epstein Debate in a Big Way
Sen. Kennedy Raises New Concerns About Epstein Case Amid Ongoing Tensions
“Ornaments, Drywall, and Epstein”: Senator Kennedy Slams “Shady” Investigation as FBI Director Faces Heated Grill over Trump and Sex Trafficking Files
The halls of Congress became the staging ground for a high-stakes battle over truth, accountability, and the ghost of Jeffrey Epstein this week. In a series of explosive testimonies that have sent shockwaves through social media, the Director of the FBI and officials from the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) were subjected to a blistering interrogation by lawmakers who reflect the deep-seated skepticism of the American public. The central theme was clear: the official narrative surrounding the death of Jeffrey Epstein is failing the test of public trust, and the demand for transparency regarding his co-conspirators has reached a fever pitch.
Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana, known for his sharp wit and folksy but lethal metaphors, set the tone for the proceedings with a remark that immediately went viral. “Christmas ornaments, drywall, and Jerry Epstein—name three things that don’t hang themselves,” Kennedy quipped, succinctly capturing the prevailing sentiment of millions of Americans. His opening salvo wasn’t just a clever line; it was a direct challenge to the Bureau of Prisons’ finding that Epstein’s death in August 2019 was a simple suicide. Kennedy emphasized that the American people “deserve some answers” and urged officials not to rush the investigation, but to treat it with the “top priority” it warrants.
The testimony of Dr. Sawyer, representing the BOP, revealed the systemic failures that allowed such a high-profile prisoner to perish while under federal watch. When questioned about the specifics of Epstein’s confinement, Sawyer admitted that the death of such a high-profile individual indicates either a “major malfunction of the system or criminal enterprise.” He described the tiers of suicide watch, explaining that while Epstein had been on a strict watch initially—stripped of everything but a mattress and a coarse gown—the system failed when he was moved to “psychological observation.” Despite claims that inmates on such observation are “watched and scrutinized every moment,” Epstein was reportedly alone and unmonitored at the time of his death.
The emotional core of the hearing focused on the victims—the women and girls who were raped and trafficked by Epstein and his associates. Lawmakers argued that Epstein’s death wasn’t just a prison failure; it was a theft of justice. By allowing Epstein to die before he could testify against his co-conspirators, the “bastard” was able to protect his circle from beyond the grave, leaving his victims with their “hearts ripped out.” The Director was criticized for the “management matter” of treating Epstein like any other inmate, with senators arguing that someone with his level of information should have been the highest priority for protection to ensure the integrity of future criminal investigations.
As the focus shifted to the FBI’s role, the tension escalated into a near-total breakdown of decorum. The Director was grilled on the “Epstein files” and the specific mention of high-profile names, including Donald Trump. In a series of evasive maneuvers, the Director claimed he had not reviewed the entirety of the files personally, despite it being the “largest sex trafficking case the FBI has ever been a part of.” When pushed to provide a number of times Trump’s name appeared in the documents, the Director refused to give a specific count, stating only that “it’s not a thousand” and “it’s not a hundred,” while accusing lawmakers of engaging in “political innuendo.”
The exchange turned personal and vitriolic as the Director defended his record, citing his work in reducing crime and child trafficking, while lawmakers accused him of “hiding pedophiles” and playing a “cute shell game” with the law. Reference was made to Judge Richard Berman, who previously noted that the information released to the public “pales in comparison” to the materials held by the Department of Justice. The hearing concluded with a dramatic refusal by the Director to recuse himself from investigations involving individuals he had previously labeled “government gangsters” in his own book, leading to a final, bitter standoff over the “disgrace” of the proceedings.
This hearing has made one thing undeniably certain: the Epstein saga is far from over. As technology like drone drops and advanced surveillance cameras become the new frontline for prison security, the focus remains on the old-fashioned failures of human oversight and the potential for deep-seated corruption. For the victims, the wait for the “entire truth” continues, as the wall of government secrecy remains stubbornly intact.
Panic Behind the Scenes? New Claims Put Pete Hegseth Under Heavy Scrutiny
Hegseth in Panic Mode as Troops Revolt and Leak Damaging Photos He Tried to Keep Hidden
Troops in Revolt: Leaked ‘Nightmare’ Photos Reveal Starvation and Chaos Under Pete Hegseth’s Leadership
In the high-stakes theater of American defense, the image of the stoic, well-supplied soldier is a cornerstone of national pride. However, a series of explosive leaks from within the ranks of the U.S. Navy and the Pentagon has shattered that facade, painting a devastating picture of a military in crisis. At the center of this storm is Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, whose tenure is now being defined not by strategic brilliance, but by a “nightmare” scenario of logistical collapse, plummeting morale, and an unprecedented revolt from the very troops he is tasked with leading.
The crisis reached a fever pitch this week as service members aboard major aircraft carriers, including the USS Abraham Lincoln and the USS Gerald R. Ford, began leaking photos of the meals they are being served. These images, which have quickly gone viral, show “grim meals” consisting of dry patties, plastic-looking carrots, and a single tortilla on otherwise empty plastic trays. One sailor on the USS Abraham Lincoln described the situation in stark terms: “The food is tasteless and there’s not nearly enough and they’re hungry all the time.” For a military that prides itself on being the best-fed and best-equipped force in the world, these revelations are a staggering indictment of current leadership.
The logistical failure extends beyond the galley. Families of service members are reporting a total breakdown in the military postal system, with the U.S. Postal Service temporarily suspending mail delivery to 27 military zip codes. Parents have spent thousands of dollars on care packages that sit in transit with no clear delivery timeline, leaving their children to ration what little food they have. One mother from Texas, whose son is aboard the USS Tripoli, shared that her family has spent over $2,000 on supplies that have never reached him, forcing sailors to “ration and share food” just to get by.
In the face of these failures, Secretary Hegseth has reportedly spiraled into a state of panic. Rather than addressing the systemic issues within his department, Hegseth has taken to the public stage to attack the media, labeling journalists as “Pharisees” and accusing them of having “hardened hearts” calibrated only to impugn his leadership. Critics argue that this aggressive rhetoric is a desperate attempt to deflect attention from his own unpopularity and the growing dissatisfaction within the MAGA wing of the Pentagon. Recent data suggests that Hegseth is uniquely unpopular, sitting 30 points underwater in net popularity—a sharp contrast to historical figures like Donald Rumsfeld or Dick Cheney during similar conflicts.
The tension is further amplified by reports that Hegseth fears he is on Donald Trump’s “chopping block.” His public outbursts and constant “ass-kissing” of the President are seen by many as a survival tactic to avoid being fired in the middle of the escalating conflict with Iran.Meanwhile, the contrast between the treatment of troops and high-profile criminals has become a flashpoint for public anger. Social media users have pointed out that sex criminal Ghislaine Maxwell is reportedly “eating better” in her “five-star resort” prison than our men and women in uniform, who are being sent to risk their lives in a war many feel serves the interests of the elite “Epstein class” rather than American citizens.
As Donald Trump gears up for a $1.5 trillion defense budget, the question of where that money is going has become central to the debate. While billions are earmarked for tech giants and AI development, the basic needs of the frontline defenders—food, mail, and morale—are being ignored. The leaked photos from the ships are more than just a complaint about “slop”; they are a cry for help from a military that feels abandoned by its civilian leaders.
The situation under Pete Hegseth is no longer just a matter of political disagreement; it is a full-scale revolt fueled by the most basic of human needs. As morale reaches an all-time low and the “holy war” narrative fails to satisfy hungry stomachs, the pressure on the Pentagon to change course is reaching a breaking point. For the families of those serving, the message is clear: our service members deserve so much better than this.
