The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Friday that a man linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was charged with orchestrating a plot to assassinate Donald Trump, then the Republican presidential frontrunner, before the election. Prosecutors described the case as part of a broader effort by a foreign network to target a prominent American political figure. The filing highlights the real-world reach of IRGC-linked operatives and the ongoing focus by U.S. authorities on preventing violent plots that cross international borders and threaten public figures and national stability. Source: U.S. Department of Justice.
Named as the lead defendant is Farhad Shakeri, 51, described in the complaint as an Afghan-born resident of Tehran who spent ten years in a New York jail, where he reportedly formed relationships with others accused of involvement before he was deported. He is identified as an active member of the IRGC, an organization often described by U.S. officials as instrumental in coordinating both domestic and overseas operations. Source: U.S. Department of Justice.
Prosecutors contend that Shakeri voluntarily participated in a recorded conversation with FBI agents in which he said that on October 7 he was instructed to prepare a plan to kill Trump within the following week. He reportedly claimed he did not intend to execute the plan within the time window outlined by the IRGC, a statement that raised questions about the scope and timing of the alleged conspiracy. Source: U.S. Department of Justice.
According to the government, if Shakeri did not have a ready-made plan at that moment, the Iranian faction reportedly paused the mission until after the election, believing that Trump would not win and that the opportunity to carry out the assassination would be easier once the campaign concluded. Source: U.S. Department of Justice.
The charges arrive after Trump’s campaign in September asserted that U.S. intelligence officials had warned him of real and specific threats from Iran aimed at harming him. The claim underscored the perceived risk of foreign interference in American politics and the attention such threats attract from federal prosecutors and law enforcement. Source: U.S. Department of Justice.
FBI Director Christopher Wray commented that the indictment exposes Iran’s blatant attempts against American citizens, including the president-elect and other government leaders, as well as dissidents who oppose the regime. Source: U.S. Department of Justice.