Donald Trump claims Iran is making 'real and specific threats' to assassinate him

Former US President Donald Trump has made the shocking claim that Iran has made and continues to make "real and specific threats" to assassinate him "in an effort to destabilise and sow chaos in the United States." This follows weeks of increased political violence in the run-up to the November election, with two attempts made on Trump's life.

The Trump Campaign has released an official statement, headlined 'Trump Campaign Statement on the Ongoing Threats from the Iran Terror Regime'. Spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement that Trump was briefed by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and that officials have identified that "continued and coordinated attacks have heightened in the past few months."

Law enforcement agencies are working to ensure Trump is protected "and free from interference," he said. The statement from Mr Cheung said: "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.

"Intelligence officials have identified that these continued and coordinated 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 statement read: "Make no mistake, the terror regime in Iran loves the weakness of Kamala Harris, and is terrified of the strength and resolve of President Trump. He will let nothing stop him or get in his way to fight for the American people and to Make America Great Again."

Trump has faced two apparent assassination attempts since July this year. In one incident on July 13, a gunman opened fire on him at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, grazing his ear.

The shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, fired eight rounds from a nearby rooftop, killing one person and injuring two others before being shot and killed by the US Secret Service's Counter Sniper Team. In the latest shocking twist, Ryan Wesley Routh, the man accused of plotting to assassinate Donald Trump at his golfing facility last month, has been hit with charges that could put him behind bars for life.

Authorities allege that Routh lay in wait for 12 hours at the Florida course on September 15, armed with a rifle and fixed on killing Trump, who was there at the time. Following his previous firearms charges, he's now facing an attempted assassination charge detailed within a new five-count indictment.

Authorities have reported that Routh hunkered down for 12 hours, obsessively observing Trump at his Florida golf estate, and had penned a chilling declaration of his intent to eliminate him. Initially faced with two federal firearms counts, Routh now confronts a more severe five-count indictment, underscoring the belief by the US Justice Department in his calculated scheme to target the Republican nominee.

With Trump unsuspectingly playing, Routh allegedly zeroed in with a rifle from behind the shrubbery of West Palm Beach's golf course. Left behind, prosecutors reveal, was Routh's handwritten confession that could now see him contend with life imprisonment.

This major development by the US Justice Department suggests they're convinced of Routh's calculated intent to target the former President, with evidence including a note outlining his lethal plans.

Meanwhile, speaking before global leaders today, Iran's freshly elected president Masoud Pezeshkian took to the UN General Assembly charting a hopeful course for his nation's foreign policy future. In his inaugural assembly appearance, he called for "constructive" dialogues but pointedly reminded everyone, the US included, that this path forward is a two-way street.

He delivered his message with a more composed demeanor compared to the fiery addresses often associated with his predecessors. Pezeshkian, a heart surgeon and reformer who took office in July, stated: "I aim to lay a strong foundation for my country's entry into a new era, positioning it to play an effective and constructive role in the evolving global order,".

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, recently expressed openness to renewed negotiations with the US regarding Iran's rapidly advancing nuclear program, stating that there was "no harm" in engaging with its "enemy." The US withdrew from Iran's nuclear deal with Western nations in 2018 under former President Donald Trump.

The US, under outgoing President Joe Biden, has been working with Egypt and Qatar to broker a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza war. However, this effort has been challenging, and developments in Lebanon may further complicate the situation.

In a direct address to the American people, Pezeshkian highlighted various Iranian grievances, including sanctions and the 2020 killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani in a US drone strike during the Trump era.

He urged "all states pursuing a counterproductive strategy towards Iran" to "learn from history."

"We have the opportunity to transcend these limitations and enter into a new era. This era will commence with the acknowledgement of Iran's security concerns and cooperation on mutual challenges," he declared, making a fresh plea for sanctions relief.

"I hope that this message from Iran is carefully heard today," the new president concluded.

With tensions still running high in the Middle East due to the Israel-Hamas conflict and the upcoming US presidential election in November, where Trump faces off against Democrat and current Vice President Kamala Harris, it's uncertain how much leeway Pezeshkian will have.

Pezeshkian didn't hold back in his criticism of Israel on Tuesday, slamming the country for "atrocities," "colonialism," "crimes against humanity" and "desperate barbarism" amid ongoing clashes with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, both of which are supported by Iran.

He condemned Israel's intense attacks on Lebanon, stating "cannot go unanswered," and warned of repercussions for those he accused of hindering peace efforts in the Middle East while hypocritically claiming to be defenders of human rights, in what seemed to be a swipe at the United States and its Western allies.