President Donald Trump warned Iran on Thursday that it “will not exist very long any longer” if it kills a senior American official, according to i24NEWS, as several top members of his administration have moved into military housing amid reported threats.
Trump made the remarks in a phone interview with Hugh Hewitt on the Salem News Channel, according to The Times of India. Asked how the United States would respond if Iran killed a U.S. official such as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Trump said, “They will not exist any longer,” the outlet reported.
“NO HESITATION.” @POTUS isn't ruling out further military action against Iran. Speaking with @HughHewitt, Trump said he would do whatever is necessary to stop the regime from threatening American allies and ships.
Watch President Trump's exclusive interview with Hugh Hewitt… pic.twitter.com/z2LO5oXV9f
— Salem News Channel (@WatchSalemNews) November 12, 2026
“No hesitation” on further action
Salem News Channel said in a post on X that Trump “isn’t ruling out further military action against Iran” and that he would do whatever is necessary to stop the regime from threatening American allies and ships.
Asked whether he would hesitate to use military force to stop Iran from “terrorising our allies and our ships,” Trump answered, “No hesitation,” according to The Times of India. “If I saw things going the other way, I would do that, and it’s possible I would do it right now,” Trump said, according to i24NEWS.
Trump also said it would be a defeat for his presidency if Iran’s current leadership remained in power when he leaves office, according to i24NEWS. Asked by Hewitt whether that outcome would count as a defeat, Trump replied, “Yes, that would be a defeat,” the outlet reported. “Yep, I would say that would be a defeat. Absolutely,” he added, according to The Times of India.
The president said Iran’s regime “is collapsing” and asserted that the United States “totally” controls the Strait of Hormuz, according to i24NEWS. “We control the Gulf in terms of the Hormuz Strait. We control it. Totally control it,” Trump said, The Times of India reported.
Bessent moved to a military base
The warning came days after Bessent moved from his Washington, D.C., residence to a U.S. military base following Iranian threats against his life, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters. The New York Times first reported the move, and the Times said the severity of the threats was not immediately clear, according to Reuters.
Bessent has led the administration’s economic pressure campaign against Iran, known as Operation Economic Outcast, since August, Reuters reported. A Treasury Department spokesperson said Bessent “will not be deterred by the Iranian regime’s threats and remains committed to executing Operation Economic Outcast and maintaining the blockade,” according to NBC News.
A source familiar with the move told NBC News that security concerns grew after The Wall Street Journal published a story with a photo that allowed the secretary’s home to be geolocated. “The news media has an obligation to act responsibly amid growing threats against public officials,” the source said, NBC News reported.
A growing list of officials in military housing
Attorney General Todd Blanche has been living at a military installation in the Washington area for months, three sources familiar with the arrangement told Fox News Digital. A source did not elaborate on the reason for Blanche’s move, according to Fox News.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth have reportedly taken up residence at Fort McNair in Washington, while White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and other officials have moved to military installations or protected government housing, Fox News reported. The relocations did not all stem from the same threats, with some following concerns about domestic political violence, according to Fox News.
A senior intelligence official in the Trump administration warned in a memo late last month that Iranian plots against U.S. personnel and American citizens had reached an advanced stage, according to Reuters.
Sources
Sources cited
- https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/they-will-not-exist-any-longer-trump-warns-iran-against-targeting-us-officials/articleshow/135786682.cms
- https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/international/artc-trump-on-iran-war-if-the-crazies-in-iran-are-still-in-power-when-i-leave-office-that-would-be-a-defeat-live-blog
- https://www.reuters.com/3fec1b0a85a0/world/middle-east/us-treasury-chief-bessent-moved-military-base-after-iranian-threats-nyt-reports-2026-11-11/
- https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/treasury-secretary-scott-bessent-moves-military-base-iranian-threats-rcna608951
- https://www.foxnews.com/politics/another-trump-heavyweight-revealed-living-military-base-cabinet-roster-grows
Sources
- Original post: Salem News Channel (@WatchSalemNews) on X, Nov 12, 2026
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