Despite intelligence indicating that Iran was behind multiple plots to kill U.S. leaders, including then presidential candidate Donald Trump, Iran’s President is speaking out saying the country never attempted anything of the sort.
Masoud Pezeshkian, Iran’s President, claimed in an interview this week that the Islamic regime, which is the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, “never” tried to assassinate President-elect Donald Trump.
Pezeshkian’s claims come despite Iran having attempted at least twice to assassinate Trump last year — both of which were foiled by federal law enforcement.
Pezeshkian made the remarks during an NBC News interview with Lester Holt, who traveled to Tehran for the interview.
Instead, he claimed that it was an attempt to smear the country.
“This is another one of those schemes that Israel and other countries are designing to promote Iranophobia,” Pezeshkian claimed. “Iran has never attempted to nor does it plan to assassinate anyone. At least as far as I know.”
When Holt asked if there was ever a plan to assassinate Trump, Pezeshkian claimed: “None whatsoever.”
However, in November, the U.S. Department of Justice unsealed an indictment against multiple individuals who were involved in plots to murder an Iranian dissident, two Jewish Americans, and Trump on U.S. soil.
Prosecutors indicted Farhad Shakeri, 51, of Iran, on multiple charges, including murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, money laundering conspiracy, conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, and conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and sanctions against the Government of Iran.
Shakeri remains at large and is believed to be inside Iran. If convicted on all counts, he could face 100 years in prison.
“Shakeri is an [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] asset residing in Tehran, Iran,” prosecutors said. “Shakeri immigrated to the United States as a child and was deported in or about 2008 after serving 14 years in prison for a robbery conviction. In recent months, Shakeri has used a network of criminal associates he met in prison in the United States to supply the IRGC with operatives to conduct surveillance and assassinations of IRGC targets.”
Outgoing Attorney General Merrick Garland has long sounded the alarm on Iran’s role to kill U.S. officials.
During his own NBC interview last year, he warned that there were Iranian plots to kill Trump.
AG MERRICK GARLAND: "We believe that the Iranians are attempting to kill or injure" President Trump.
REMINDER: Harris-Biden have funded the Iranian regime with tens of billions of dollars — even as they remain the world's largest state sponsor of terrorism. pic.twitter.com/XoPsUHwqTE
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 31, 2024
You can see the entirety of Holt’s interview with Iran’s President here: