Iran declares it will not target Trump, following US warning of war: Reports

The Justice Department said the scheme was part of Iran’s efforts to avenge the killing of General Qasem Soleimani in 2020, a strike ordered by Trump.

In announcing his plans on his Truth Social site, he railed against an influx of migrants crossing into the U.S. illegally, even though southern border apprehensions have been hovering near four-year lows. (AP)

Iran has communicated through Swiss diplomats that it has no intention of targeting former US President Donald Trump, according to an NBC News report citing a US official.

The message, sent in mid-October, came after the Biden administration issued a warning that any attempt on Trump’s life would be considered an act of war.

“The Biden administration made it clear via Switzerland that an assassination attempt on Trump would have grave consequences,” NBC News reported, reflecting the administration’s public stance on the matter.

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Switzerland serves as a diplomatic intermediary between the US and Iran due to the absence of direct relations between the two nations. The Iranian mission to the United Nations declined to comment when approached, as reported by NBC News.

Assassination plot foiled

The written assurance from Tehran coincided with heightened US security measures following intelligence in July suggesting a potential Iranian plot to assassinate Trump. According to NBC News, this led the Secret Service to bolster security around the former president during his campaign activities. The Wall Street Journal was the first to report on the Iranian communication.

In a related development, the Justice Department charged an Iranian national last week for allegedly planning to assassinate Trump as part of a murder-for-hire scheme. The accused was directed by an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) official to devise the plan by mid-October, or the operation would be paused until after the 2024 US presidential election.

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The Justice Department said the scheme was part of Iran’s efforts to avenge the killing of General Qasem Soleimani in 2020, a strike ordered by Trump. A campaign spokesperson for Trump called the plot “an effort to destabilize and sow chaos in the United States.”

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Denials from Iran

Iran has dismissed the allegations as fabrications. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, who described the assassination claims as “fabricated” and a “disgusting conspiracy.” Iran also denied involvement in related cyberattacks targeting US presidential campaigns, calling them “entirely baseless” and “lacking credibility.”

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While Trump survived a separate assassination attempt in July in Butler, Pennsylvania, there is no evidence linking that attack to Iranian operatives.

This ongoing tension underscores the strained US-Iran relations in the aftermath of Soleimani’s death and the implications for American security and diplomacy moving forward.

(with inputs from NBC news)

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