Iran has vehemently denied recent US media reports suggesting that it has been plotting to assassinate former US President Donald Trump. The allegations have been described as “malicious” by the Iranian foreign ministry, which has strongly rejected any involvement in such actions.
On Wednesday, a foreign ministry spokesman, Nasser Kanaani, addressed the claims, stating that Iran aims to prosecute former US President Donald Trump for his role in ordering the assassination of a senior Iranian military official in 2020. However, he dismissed the assassination plot allegations as politically motivated and baseless.
Citing unnamed US officials, CNN reported on Tuesday that US authorities had recently learned of an Iranian threat to former US President Donald Trump’s life, prompting the US Secret Service to increase security for the former president. Despite these measures, former US President Donald Trump was attacked at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday. The report clarified that the Iranian threat was not connected to the shooting, which was allegedly carried out by a lone 20-year-old gunman.
Kanaani categorically denied Iran’s involvement in the recent armed attack against former US President Donald Trump or any intention to carry out such an action. He emphasized that the allegations had malicious political motives and objectives.
Nevertheless, Kanaani reiterated Iran’s determination to prosecute former US President Donald Trump for his role in the killing of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Qassem Soleimani in 2020. The incident has long been a point of contention, with Tehran promising “harsh revenge” for Soleimani’s death. US authorities have remained vigilant about potential Iranian retaliation, fearing that targets could include former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former national security advisers John Bolton and Robert O’Brien, all of whom continue to have security details.
CNN’s initial report on the increased security for former US President Donald Trump did not name sources but indicated that US intelligence agencies had received information about a potential Iranian plot. Following this, National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson confirmed that the intelligence regarding the Iranian threat to former US President Donald Trump is a matter of “national and homeland security of the highest priority.” She also noted that the investigation into the Pennsylvania attack had not identified any ties between the shooter and any accomplice or co-conspirator, foreign or domestic.
Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi acknowledged that agencies are constantly receiving new potential threat information and adjusting resources accordingly. While he did not comment on specific threats, he emphasized that the Secret Service takes all threats seriously and responds appropriately.
The US Department of Homeland Security, responsible for anti-terrorism and border security, has not yet reacted to the alleged threat. The report about Iran’s plot comes at a time when the US Secret Service faces intense scrutiny over the Butler County shooting, with questions arising about how a gunman was able to open fire at former US President Donald Trump from an exposed rooftop approximately 150 meters (500 feet) away.
In response to the incident, US President Joe Biden has ordered an independent review of the Secret Service’s handling of the situation, aiming to address the security lapses and ensure such breaches do not occur in the future.
