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Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, holds a press conference in Beirut, Lebanon, on Aug. 13, 2025, after meeting with the speaker of Lebanon’s parliament. (EPA/Yonhap)

Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, threatened US President Donald Trump by telling him to “watch out” lest he be “eliminated.” 

“The Ashura-loving nation of Iran does not fear your paper threats. Even those greater than you could not eliminate the Iranian nation,” Larijani wrote in a post on social media site X on Tuesday. “Watch out for yourself — lest you be eliminated!”

In his post, Larijani posted a screenshot of a post by Trump on Truth Social, in which the US president warns Iran to not disrupt oil flows in the Strait of Hormuz. 

Larijani leads the Islamic regime’s security and military apparatuses in the wake of the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in US-Israeli strikes on Feb. 28 

In his Truth Social post, Trump warned, “If Iran does anything that stops the flow of Oil within the Strait of Hormuz, they will be hit by the United States of America TWENTY TIMES HARDER than they have been hit thus far.”

“Additionally, we will take out easily destroyable targets that will make it virtually impossible for Iran to ever be built back, as a Nation again — Death, Fire, and Fury will reign upon them,” he continued. 

“But I hope, and pray, that it does not happen! This is a gift from the United States of America to China, and all those Nations that heavily use the Hormuz Strait. Hopefully, it is a gesture that will be greatly appreciated.”

By Kim Mi-na, staff reporter

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