US President Donald Trump claimed on Wednesday that he is the top target of Iran’s leadership, saying he is “on every single one of their list” and warning that the luck that has kept him safe “may not last.”
Speaking at the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump defended the recent US military strikes against Iran and accused Tehran’s leadership of plotting to assassinate him.
“They want to take out the US leader. I’m on every single one of their list. So far, I’ve had a bit of luck, but maybe it won’t last,” Trump said. “They’re evil and sick people, and we must get rid of this cancer.”
Trump’s remarks came as tensions between Washington and Tehran escalated sharply following a fresh exchange of military strikes. Earlier in the day, the US president declared that the interim memorandum of understanding aimed at ending hostilities with Iran was “over,” saying he no longer wanted to negotiate with Tehran after the latest attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
The US has since launched a new wave of strikes targeting Iranian military sites, while Iran claimed responsibility for attacks on US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait. The renewed hostilities have raised fears of a wider regional conflict and renewed concerns over the security of global energy supplies passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump’s latest comments also echo long-standing tensions between the United States and Iran following the 2020 US drone strike that killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani. Since then, US officials have repeatedly said they have taken security threats against current and former American officials seriously, although Trump did not provide evidence for his latest assertion that he is “No. 1” on Iran’s target list.
Earlier in the day, Trump announced that the ceasefire with Iran is over. Speaking alongside NATO chief Mark Rutte in Turkey, the US president said the US military had attacked Iran “very powerfully” overnight. He also asserted that he doesn’t want to deal with the Iranians anymore and called them “sick and evil people”.
“We attacked very powerfully last night, the very dangerous people from Iran. They are sick, something is wrong with them,” said Trump.
“For me, the memorandum of understanding is over. I don’t want to deal with them anymore. They’re scum. And if they get a nuclear weapon. They’re liars. In my eyes, it’s a waste of time to continue talking to them. They’re crazy; for me it’s over,” he stated.