U.S. Justice Department Alleges Iran Plotted to Assassinate Former President Donald Trump

The U.S. Department of Justice announced on November 8 that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had allegedly conspired to assassinate former President Donald Trump, according to a statement on the department’s website.

The U.S. authorities have filed an indictment against 51-year-old IRGC agent Farhad Shakeri. Prosecutors claim Shakeri "led a network of accomplices involved in executing Iran’s plans to assassinate its targets, including former President Donald Trump," said U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland.

FBI Director Christopher Wray stated that "through persistent efforts by the FBI, the criminal plans were thwarted."

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Shakeri was tasked on October 7, 2024, with developing a plan to assassinate Donald Trump. Additionally, the IRGC directed Shakeri to surveil two U.S. citizens of Jewish descent in New York City and orchestrate their killings, as well as monitor Israeli tourists in Sri Lanka.

Two of Shakeri’s accomplices, 49-year-old Carlile Rivera and 36-year-old Jonatha Loadholt, were arrested in the United States. Investigators allege they were tracking an Iranian-American in New York and preparing to murder him. Prosecutors indicate the target was a journalist critical of Iranian authorities.

Farhad Shakeri, originally from Iran, lived in the United States from childhood until his deportation in 2008 following a 14-year prison sentence for burglary. Authorities believe that during his incarceration, Shakeri formed connections with individuals he later employed for surveillance tasks on behalf of the IRGC.

Shakeri remains at large and is believed to be in Iran.

In September, Trump’s campaign staff reported that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence had warned of Iranian threats against Trump, as reported by ABC News. Subsequently, Trump’s team sought enhanced security measures, and Congressman Michael Waltz called for military air support for Trump’s travels. President Joe Biden responded by assigning protection to Trump "as an active president."

The FBI is investigating two assassination attempts on Trump. The first occurred in Pennsylvania on July 13, when 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks wounded Trump’s ear during a rally. A participant was killed, and the shooter was neutralized by a sniper. The second attempt took place on September 15 in Florida near a golf club where Trump was present. Security personnel detected a rifle in the bushes and apprehended the suspect after returning fire.

Iranian authorities had previously threatened retaliation against Trump for ordering the killing of IRGC commander General Qasem Soleimani in January 2020.

The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has denied involvement in the alleged assassination plot against Trump. In a statement, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ismail Baghi dismissed the accusations as "completely unfounded" and labeled them a "disgraceful conspiracy" orchestrated by Israeli circles and the Iranian opposition.

Earlier, the U.S. Department of Justice asserted that Iran had prepared the assassination plot against Trump and implicated IRGC agent Farhad Shakeri in organizing a group of conspirators in New York to kill the former U.S. leader. In June, the FBI arrested a Pakistani national who was reportedly seeking a hitman to kill Trump on behalf of the Iranian government.