The US Justice Department has revealed an Iranian plot to assassinate President-elect Donald Trump, charging a man who claimed he was tasked with planning the murder by a government official. Farhad Shakeri, an Afghan national who spent 14 years in prison for robbery, said he was instructed to gather a plan within seven days to surveil and kill Trump. The official allegedly told Shakeri that money is not an issue and that if he couldn’t complete the task within the timeframe, the plot would be paused after the election.
Shakeri, who remains at large in Iran, also claimed responsibility for recruiting two other men to follow and kill prominent Iranian-American journalist Masih Alinejad. The plot comes as part of ongoing efforts by Iran to target US government officials on US soil.
Iranian authorities have rejected the allegations, calling them a “plot by Zionist circles” aimed at complicating relations between Iran and the US. However, the US Justice Department says the case shows Iran’s “continued brazen attempts to target US citizens,” including Trump.
The plot is the latest in a series of Iranian assassination plots targeting US officials, including Trump’s campaign associates. Intelligence officials say Iran opposed Trump’s reelection, viewing him as more likely to increase tension between Washington and Tehran.
Trump has stated that he was aware of the assassination plot and vowed to return to the White House to restore peace around the world.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/iran-fbi-justice-department-iran-83cff84a7d65901a058ad6f41a564bdb