US authorities have recently received intelligence indicating a plot by Iran to attempt the assassination of former President Donald Trump, according to a report by CNN. This development has prompted the Secret Service to heighten security measures around Trump.
The report clarified that there was no indication linking the Iranian plot to 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, who attempted to assassinate Trump during a rally in Pennsylvania on July 13. Crooks opened fire at the former President and was subsequently killed by the Secret Service. Trump sustained injuries during the incident, with photos showing blood streaks on his face, while one attendee lost their life. In a video following the attack, Trump was seen pumping his fist and chanting “Fight! Fight! Fight!”
Iran, however, has refuted these accusations, dismissing them as “unsubstantiated and malicious.”
A spokesperson from the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations stated, “From the perspective of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Trump is a criminal who must be prosecuted and punished in a court of law for ordering the assassination of General Soleimani. Iran has chosen the legal path to bring him to justice.”
According to CNN, the intelligence about the Iranian plot came from a human source. A US national security official revealed that both the Secret Service and Trump’s campaign were informed of the threat ahead of the Pennsylvania rally. Consequently, security measures were bolstered beforehand.
Despite these precautions, the Trump campaign declined to disclose whether it had been notified of the Iranian threat. US officials have long been concerned about potential retaliatory actions from Iran following Trump’s order to kill Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani in January 2020.
The incident has raised significant questions about security protocols at the Pennsylvania rally, with criticism directed at the Secret Service for allowing a gunman to access a nearby rooftop and fire at Trump. President Joe Biden has condemned violence and ordered an independent review into the security lapse. Congress is also set to investigate the Secret Service’s handling of the situation.
