Former US President and current Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump issued a stark warning to Iran on Wednesday, vowing to "blow [the country] to smithereens" if it is involved in any assassination attempts against former presidents or presidential candidates. Trump made these remarks during a rally in Mint Hill, North Carolina, after alleging that he had survived two assassination attempts in recent months and faced "big threats" to his life from Iran.

"If I were president, I would inform the threatening country, in this case, Iran, that if you harm this person, we will blow your largest cities, and the country itself, to smithereens," Trump declared, met by cheers from the crowd.

Trump's comments came after US intelligence officials reportedly briefed him on Tuesday about "real and specific threats" from Iran to assassinate him. Federal authorities are currently investigating two incidents, including a shooting at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July and another attempt at Trump's Florida golf course earlier this month. While there is no confirmed link to Iran or other foreign entities in either case, Trump's campaign continues to emphasize potential threats from the Middle Eastern country.

During the rally, Trump also questioned why Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who was in New York for the UN General Assembly, was being protected by US security forces. "We have the president of Iran in our country, with large security forces guarding him, while they’re threatening a former president and a leading presidential candidate — it's certainly a strange situation," Trump remarked.

The former president also took to social media earlier in the week, warning of "big threats" from Iran and claiming the US military is on high alert. "Moves were made by Iran that didn’t work out, but they will try again," he tweeted. "Not a good situation for anyone."

Trump’s first close call came on July 13, when a bullet grazed his ear during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The second occurred on September 15, at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, where 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh was arrested and charged with attempting to assassinate the former president.

As the investigation continues, Trump remains a central figure in the lead-up to the November 5 election, where he faces Vice President Kamala Harris in the race for the White House.