There has been animosity between President Donald Trump and the Islamic Republic of Iran dating back to Trump's first term in office, which has allegedly led to Iranian plots to assassinate the American leader.

On Tuesday, Trump revealed to reporters that he'd given instructions to his advisers and staff form Iran to be completely "obliterated" if the Islamist regime were successful in assassinating him, the Associated Press reported.

Trump greatly angered Iran in 2020 when he ordered an airstrike that killed General Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the elite Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force, and the regime belatedly responded last year by ordering an asset in the U.S. to track and kill Trump, only for that plot to be discovered and thwarted prior to the election.

Iran will be "obliterated" if they assassinate him

Fox News reported that the shocking remarks from President Trump about Iran's bleak future if the regime succeeded in assassinating him came as he signed a special directive ordering a massive crackdown on the Islamist regime.

"That would be a terrible thing for them to do," Trump told reporters of Iranian plots to take his life. "If they did that, they would be obliterated."

"I’ve left instructions if they do it, they get obliterated, there won’t be anything left," he added, per the AP.

Trump ordered a "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran

President Trump's comments about Iran being "obliterated" if they killed him came as he signed a National Security Presidential Memorandum about "imposing maximum pressure" on the Iranian regime, denying that nation a path to nuclear weapons, and countering its "malign influence" in the broader region.

The memo provided a brief but detailed account of Iran's malicious behavior, involvement in international terrorism, and threats against its neighbors and others in the Middle East and beyond.

The memo stated: "It is the policy of the United States that Iran be denied a nuclear weapon and intercontinental ballistic missiles; that Iran’s network and campaign of regional aggression be neutralized; that the IRGC and its surrogates be disrupted, degraded, or denied access to the resources that sustain their destabilizing activities; and to counter Iran’s aggressive development of missiles and other asymmetric and conventional weapons capabilities."

To achieve that goal and impose "maximum pressure" on Iran, Trump ordered the Treasury secretary to impose all possible sanctions on the regime and enforce penalties for violations of those sanctions. He also ordered the secretary of State to "modify or rescind" sanctions waivers and work with others to block Iranian oil exports and freedom of movement for top Iranian and IRGC officials.

Trump also ordered his representative to the United Nations to push for more international sanctions and to hold Iran accountable for violating prior international agreements, told the Commerce secretary to restrict the flow of advanced technologies and components into the regime, and for the attorney general to aggressively pursue all legal means to disrupt Iran's economy and involvement in terrorism here in the U.S. and around the globe.

Trump clarifies his position

In a Truth Social post on Wednesday, however, President Trump made it clear that he was targeting the Islamist regime and not the Iranian people with his "maximum pressure" campaign, while also addressing rumors that the U.S. was secretly plotting Iran's destruction with Israel.

"I want Iran to be a great and successful Country, but one that cannot have a Nuclear Weapon," Trump wrote. "Reports that the United States, working in conjunction with Israel, is going to blow Iran into smithereens, ARE GREATLY EXAGGERATED."

"I would much prefer a Verified Nuclear Peace Agreement, which will let Iran peacefully grow and prosper," he added. "We should start working on it immediately, and have a big Middle East Celebration when it is signed and completed. God Bless the Middle East!"