Iran warned President Donald Trump on Tuesday to be careful not to get eliminated himself. This came after Trump stated that Iran’s new supreme leader could not live in peace. He also threatened a harsher response from the U.S. if Tehran disrupted oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
The warning was issued by Ali Larijani, a top Iranian security official. He wrote on X that Iran doesn’t fear Trump’s empty threats. He added that even those bigger than Trump couldn’t eliminate Iran. Larijani concluded with the advice to be careful not to get eliminated himself, according to The Associated Press.
Trump’s comments were reported by Reuters after an interview with Fox News. He mentioned that he might talk with Iran, depending on the terms. However, he made it clear he was not softening his rhetoric toward Tehran’s leadership. Trump expressed skepticism about Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, saying he does not believe Khamenei can live in peace.
This exchange occurred as the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran escalated. The AP reported that Iran has continued missile and drone attacks on Israel and on American bases in the region. Meanwhile, U.S. forces and Israel have targeted thousands of locations inside Iran. Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stated that U.S. forces had struck more than 5,000 targets, penetrating deeper into Iran’s military and industrial base.
Tensions remain high around the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway between Iran and Oman that handles about 20% of the world’s oil. Trump wrote on social media that if Iran did anything to stop the flow of oil in the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. would respond twenty times harder than before. The AP reported that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard announced it would not allow the export of even a single liter of oil to what it called the hostile side and its partners until further notice.
This shipping threat has already disturbed energy markets. Reuters noted that Brent crude rose close to $120 a barrel before dropping back after Trump suggested that the conflict could de-escalate. Saudi Aramco CEO Amin Nasser mentioned that if the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked, the consequences for global oil markets could be catastrophic.
The latest Iranian threat toward Trump also brought renewed attention to previous U.S. claims about Tehran plotting against him. Reuters reported last week that the Justice Department charged an Iranian man in 2024 linked to an alleged Revolutionary Guard plot to assassinate Trump while he was president-elect.
Tehran denied those allegations. After a U.S.-Israeli operation killed Iran’s former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Trump told ABC News, “I got him before he got me,” according to Reuters.
Despite the harsh words from both sides, Trump suggested on Tuesday that diplomacy was still a possibility. Reuters reported that he told Fox News he had heard Tehran wanted to talk badly and that discussions could occur, depending on the terms. For now, the public exchange between Washington and Tehran shows that a path away from fighting remains uncertain.
