Islamic Republic Denies Plot to Assassinate Trump; Calls Claims 'Baseless'

The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday described U.S. accusations regarding a Tehran plot to assassinate Donald Trump, the elected president, as 'completely baseless.' According to a report by AFP, Ismail Baqaei, spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, stated in a statement following the allegations made by U.S. prosecutors regarding the alleged conspiracy, 'The Foreign Ministry rejects the claims that [the government] of Iran was involved in an assassination attempt targeting former or current U.S. officials.' The denial of Iran's role in this conspiracy comes at a time when Islamic Republic officials have repeatedly emphasized that they will take 'revenge' for the killing of Qassem Soleimani by any means necessary. Ali Shamkhani, the then-secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of the Islamic Republic, had stated during those days that Iran's 'response' to Soleimani's killing would 'definitely be military, but it is not limited to military actions.' The U.S. Department of Justice on Friday released details of an indictment related to the thwarting of an Islamic Republic conspiracy to assassinate Donald Trump before the presidential election. According to a criminal indictment filed in federal court in Manhattan, New York, an anonymous official of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had ordered one of Iran's operatives in September to prepare a plan to monitor and ultimately kill Trump. The Islamic Republic's efforts to target its Iranian opponents on U.S. soil and U.S. officials have a history. According to an indictment released on Tuesday, federal prosecutors in Manhattan charged a senior IRGC official and three other men connected to the Iranian government with participating in a failed assassination plot against Masih Alinejad, a journalist and host of VOA's Tablet program, in 2022. U.S. officials had previously issued indictments against a citizen of Azerbaijan and two citizens of Georgia for their involvement in a conspiracy to hire a hitman to kill Alinejad. The U.S. Department of Justice on Friday accused Farhad Shakri, a 51-year-old resident of Iran, and Carlyle Rivera, 49, and Jonathan Ludhilt, 36, both residents of New York, of involvement in the murder conspiracy against 'an Iranian-American citizen in New York.' According to the statement, the two individuals residing in New York were arrested on Thursday, and Shakri is likely in Iran. Merrick Garland, the U.S. Attorney General, stated that there is no threat to U.S. national security as serious as that posed by the Islamic Republic. He noted that the Department of Justice has charged an Islamic Republic agent who was tasked by the Iranian government to lead a network of criminals to carry out assassination plots against targets such as Donald Trump. Garland added that two other individuals were also arrested and charged for being part of the same network, hired to silence and kill an American journalist critical of the Islamic Republic on U.S. soil. The U.S. Attorney General emphasized that the United States will not tolerate the Islamic Republic's efforts to endanger U.S. national security and American citizens. FBI Director Christopher Wray also issued a statement saying that the allegations made on Friday demonstrate the 'ongoing and audacious' efforts of the Iranian government to attack American citizens, including Donald Trump, other U.S. leaders, and opponents of the Islamic Republic. He stated that the IRGC, as a foreign terrorist organization, has been conspiring with criminals and assassins to attack Americans on U.S. soil, and such actions will not be tolerated. Wray added that thanks to the intensive efforts of the FBI, deadly plots were disrupted. He affirmed that the FBI is committed to using all its resources to protect American citizens from the Islamic Republic and any other enemy intending to attack Americans. Senator Marco Rubio, in response to the U.S. Department of Justice report about the Islamic Republic's conspiracy to assassinate the elected president, stated, 'The Iranian regime wants to kill Donald because it sees him as a threat to its survival.' According to the Department of Justice statement, Shakri is an IRGC officer living in Tehran, Iran. Shakri immigrated to the United States as a child and was deported around 2008 after serving 14 years in prison for theft. In recent months, Shakri has used a network of criminal associates he became acquainted with while in U.S. prison to provide operational forces to the IRGC to conduct surveillance and assassinate IRGC targets. The Islamic Republic has been accused in recent years of attempting to assassinate Donald Trump and several senior members of his administration. In the latest case, the United States warned the Islamic Republic in October that any assassination attempt against Donald Trump would be considered an 'act of war' and would be countered. The Islamic Republic's efforts to assassinate its political opponents abroad, including former officials of the Trump administration, have a history. Reuters reported in mid-October that the Islamic Republic has been involved in at least 33 assassination or kidnapping attempts in Europe and the U.S. since 2020. Latest information released regarding this case: New information about the agents hired by the Islamic Republic to assassinate Donald Trump. Reports: Trump resumes 'maximum pressure' against the Islamic Republic. Brian Hook: The Iranian government is the 'main source of instability' in the Middle East. U.S. warning to the Islamic Republic: Any assassination attempt against Donald Trump will be considered an 'act of war.' A day after receiving the latest information, Trump warned the Iranian government about its attempt to assassinate him. Trump was informed about the latest information related to the alleged Iranian conspiracy to assassinate him.