New Threats from the Iranian Government Before Assassination Attempt on Trump; Secret Service to VOA: We Take Threats Seriously

According to two American officials, fresh threats from the Iranian government prompted the U.S. Secret Service to take steps to enhance protection for former President Donald Trump prior to the assassination attempt on him last Saturday. The Associated Press reported on Tuesday, July 16, that these officials also stated that the assassination attempt on Trump appears to have no connection to a new 'primary threat' from the Islamic Republic. They added that after becoming aware of the threats from the Iranian government, President Joe Biden's administration contacted senior Secret Service officials to inform them of the situation. This matter was discussed with the main agent responsible for Trump’s protection and his campaign. As a result, the Secret Service allocated more resources to protect former President Trump. According to the Associated Press, these officials spoke on the condition of anonymity regarding this sensitive issue. A spokesperson for the U.S. Secret Service, in response to a request from VOA for comment, said, 'The Secret Service and other agencies continuously receive information about potential new threats and take action to adjust resources as necessary.' Anthony Guliani, in a written statement sent to VOA, added, 'We cannot comment on any specific threat stream, other than to say the Secret Service takes threats seriously and responds to them.' However, the increased resources of the Secret Service did not prevent the attack on Trump during his campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday. The attack resulted in injury to Trump's right ear and the death of one attendee, as well as injuries to two others. The Iranian representation at the United Nations in New York on Tuesday reacted to these reports, calling the accusations against the Iranian government 'baseless and malicious' and denied any security threat from Tehran. This representation labeled the former U.S. president a 'criminal offender' for killing the former commander of the Quds Force but claimed that the Islamic Republic has chosen a 'legal path' to hold him accountable. This claim comes despite the fact that after the killing of Qassem Soleimani in Iraq by the U.S. military in January 2020, Iranian officials and the Revolutionary Guards have repeatedly threatened 'severe revenge' against U.S. officials at the time. The order to kill Qassem Soleimani was issued by Donald Trump in 2020. U.S. National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said, 'As we have said many times, we have been tracking threats from the Iranian government against former Trump administration officials for years, dating back to the previous administration. These threats stem from Iran's desire for revenge for the killing of Qassem Soleimani. We consider this a national and domestic security issue of the highest priority.' Watson also stated that relevant officials have reported that their investigations have not yet identified any connection between the shooter targeting Donald Trump and any collusion from abroad or within. Republican Senator Ron Johnson from Wisconsin, who is attending the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, told VOA regarding the assassination attempt on Trump and such security threats: 'We are facing a serious major security failure that requires a full and transparent investigation. Congress must oversee this process and have access to complete details so that the public knows what happened, who is responsible, and how to prevent it from happening again in the future.' VOA also sought the opinion of Michael Pregent, a former U.S. intelligence officer and terrorism and Middle East analyst at the Hudson Institute, regarding Tehran's role in the death threat against Donald Trump. He stated in a visual explanation, a copy of which was provided to VOA, that threats from Tehran against Donald Trump's life have existed for a long time, as well as threats against former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. He noted that the Iranian government had no connection to the recent attempt on Trump's life, but has learned a lot from it for future actions. He pointed to security shortcomings at the site of Trump's campaign rally and how a 20-year-old was able to find a location nearby to shoot at the former president, stating that the intelligence apparatus of a hostile country like the Islamic Republic could analyze this for attacks and assassination attempts at future election events.