Iran has warned Donald Trump to “be careful not to be eliminated,” issuing a stark assassination threat after the U.S. president said the country would be “hit 20 times harder” if it attempted to block oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.

Ali Ardashir Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, responded with a strongly worded statement, declaring that Iran would not be intimidated by American threats.

“The Ashura nation of Iran is not afraid of your empty threats. Even those greater than you could not eliminate the Iranian nation. Be careful not to be eliminated,” he said.

The message was signed by the Supreme National Security Council of Iran in Tehran and dated March 19, 1404, noting it came ten days after the reported “martyrdom” of Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

Larijani’s warning came after Trump posted on Truth Social threatening “death, fire and fury” if Iran’s leaders tried to disrupt oil traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

He wrote that the United States could strike targets that would make it “virtually impossible” for Iran to rebuild as a nation, while expressing hope that such action would ultimately be avoided.

The escalating rhetoric follows a surge in global oil prices, which climbed above $100 per barrel as tensions intensified. Around 20 percent of the world’s oil supply passes through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime route linking the Persian Gulf to the open ocean.

Trump’s post came ten days after coordinated U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran that reportedly killed the country’s leader, triggering a major conflict across the Middle East.

Despite the heightened tensions, Trump suggested in an earlier interview with CBS News that the war was “pretty much complete.”

“I think the war is very complete. They have no navy, no communications, and no Air Force. Wrapping up is what’s on my mind,” he said.

However, the comments appeared to contradict statements from U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who reportedly described the conflict as “just the beginning.”

When asked about the contradiction during a press conference, Trump replied: “You could say both.”

Meanwhile, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps pushed back against Trump’s claims, stating simply:
“We are the ones who will determine the end of the war.”