Shakeri, who is believed to be in Iran, reportedly cooperated with US authorities, revealing details of the assassination plan
News Desk
TEHRAN: Iran has strongly rejected allegations from the United States that it orchestrated a plot to assassinate former President Donald Trump, calling the accusations “completely unfounded.” The US Department of Justice had charged Farhad Shakeri, an Afghan national, with conspiring on behalf of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to kill Trump before the US presidential election. Shakeri allegedly admitted to being instructed by the IRGC in September 2024 to surveil Trump and organize the assassination.
In a statement on Saturday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei dismissed the US claims, framing them as part of a “repulsive conspiracy” aimed at escalating tensions between Iran and the United States, and involving Israel and other anti-Iran factions. He emphasized that Iran would defend its rights using “legitimate and legal means” and rejected involvement in the plot, which he claimed was a baseless accusation, similar to previous ones made against Iran.
Shakeri, who is believed to be in Iran, reportedly cooperated with US authorities, revealing details of the assassination plan. He claimed that the IRGC pressured him to organize the plot and suggested that the operation was delayed due to expectations that Trump would lose the election, making the assassination “easier” to carry out after the election.
The charges were part of a broader set of alleged operations involving Iranian agents targeting US citizens, including prominent Iranian-American journalist Masih Alinejad and Israeli tourists in Sri Lanka. The Justice Department also charged two men, Jonathan Loadholt and Carlisle Rivera, for their role in the plot against Alinejad. This revelation comes amidst heightened tensions between the US and Iran, particularly since the 2020 US drone strike that killed General Qassem Soleimani, Iran’s top military commander, a move that significantly worsened relations between the two nations.
Trump, who defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election, has not yet publicly commented on the plot. A spokesperson for the president-elect stated that while Trump is aware of the attempt, he would remain resolute in his political ambitions to “restore peace” globally. Despite the allegations, the Iranian government has maintained that its policies toward the US, including its opposition to Trump’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, will remain unchanged under the new administration.
