In a dramatic revelation, the FBI has disclosed details of an alleged Iranian-backed assassination plot targeting former U.S. President Donald Trump, timed just before the 2024 presidential election. Unsealed documents from the U.S. Department of Justice describe how Iranian officials reportedly commissioned an associate to surveil Trump and devise a plan to kill him. According to the criminal complaint, an unnamed Iranian Revolutionary Guard official instructed a man, identified as Farjad Shakeri, to prepare the assassination plan.
The urgency of the operation appeared to align with the election schedule, as the Iranian official allegedly insisted on implementing the plot within a week of the election. However, if timing proved difficult, the plan could have been delayed until after the election, anticipating potential political shifts. Shakeri reportedly informed the FBI that he couldn’t meet the initial deadline, and no immediate action took place.
This attempted plot underscores heightened tensions between Iran and the U.S., particularly following Trump’s 2020 order to kill Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, a move that has fueled retaliatory threats against him. Officials have heightened security measures around Trump, reflecting ongoing risks tied to escalating U.S.-Iranian hostilities.
