U.S. prosecutors have announced charges tied to an alleged assassination plot directed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to kill former President Donald Trump.
The Justice Department reported that Farhad Shakeri, 51, based in Tehran, was “tasked” by the IRGC on October 7 to orchestrate Trump’s assassination. The motive reportedly stems from retaliation for the 2020 U.S. airstrike that killed Iranian general Qassem Soleimani under Trump’s administration.
Two other suspects, Carlisle Rivera, 49, and Jonathon Loadholt, 36, both from New York, were separately charged with planning to assassinate an Iranian American dissident journalist in New York. Both suspects are in U.S. custody.
FBI Director Christopher Wray condemned the alleged plot, stating it underscores Iran’s “brazen attempts to target U.S. citizens, including President-elect Donald Trump, and dissidents critical of the Tehran regime.”
Shakeri allegedly leveraged criminal associates he met in the U.S. prison system to provide operatives for IRGC missions, including surveillance on dissidents. The intended journalist target remains unidentified, though similar recent charges involved journalist Masih Alinejad.
This case highlights ongoing U.S. concerns over Iran’s retaliation strategies, including a $20 million reward announced for information on another alleged plot against former White House official John Bolton.
