Revelations of an Iranian government-led plot to assassinate President-elect Donald Trump have exposed a disturbing escalation in the Iranian regime’s targeting of high-profile American figures, including a former U.S. president, as well as Iranian-American dissidents critical of Tehran.
According to documents unsealed by the Department of Justice, the scheme centered on Farhad Shakeri, an Iranian national tied to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), who allegedly directed a network of associates to carry out attacks on U.S. soil. Shakeri, who remains in Tehran, was allegedly assigned to orchestrate Trump’s assassination as retribution for the 2020 strike that killed IRGC Quds Force Commander Qassem Soleimani.
The details revealed in these documents showcase an international web of surveillance, intimidation, and murder-for-hire tactics employed by the IRGC.
Shakeri’s associates, two New Yorkers named Carlisle Rivera and Jonathan Loadholt, allegedly received instructions and financial incentives to monitor and potentially eliminate several U.S.-based targets, including Iranian-American activist Masih Alinejad and two Jewish businessmen.
Messages and recorded calls provided chilling insight into how the IRGC-funded agents were to track their targets with ruthless patience, with Tehran promising to “spend as much money as possible” to see the assassinations through.
The Justice Department has made it clear that such brazen attempts to execute political hits on U.S. soil will face the full force of American law. FBI Director Christopher Wray characterized the scheme as “straight out of the Iranian regime’s playbook,” while Attorney General Merrick Garland condemned Iran’s repeated threats to U.S. national security.
“The charges announced today expose Iran’s continued brazen attempts to target U.S. citizens, including President-elect Donald Trump,” Garland stated, underscoring the gravity of Iran’s actions and the vigilance of U.S. law enforcement in thwarting such plots.
In light of these revelations, the FBI and Secret Service reportedly elevated Trump’s security measures, with the campaign requesting unprecedented precautions, including military planes and ballistic protection at public events.
The case also highlights the ongoing security risks faced by Iranian dissidents, who, like Alinejad, remain vocal critics of the Iranian regime’s brutal tactics.
