The report, released on Friday, alleges that an Iranian plot to assassinate former U.S. President Donald J. Trump was successfully thwarted.
According to Fox News, the criminal complaint, lodged in a federal court in New York City, reveals that an anonymous official from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps instructed Farhad Shakeri, a 51-year-old Iranian, to "focus on surveilling, and, ultimately, assassinating, former President of the United States, Donald J. Trump." The complaint further states, "Shakeri has informed law enforcement that he was tasked on Oct. 7, 2024, with providing a plan to kill President-elect Donald J. Trump."
Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry, responded to these allegations on Saturday. He "categorically dismissed allegations that Iran was involved in attempts to assassinate former and current US officials." Baghaei denounced the report as "completely baseless and rejected," adding that Iran has faced similar accusations in the past, which have been "firmly denied and proven false."
TRUMP TRANSITION: WHEN YOU LOSE ALL TRUST IN THE FBI, THIS HAPPENS...
Baghaei further argued that the repetition of such claims "is a malicious conspiracy orchestrated by Zionist and anti-Iranian circles, aimed at further complicating the issues between the US and Iran." He concluded by asserting Iran's commitment to using "all legitimate and legal means" at both domestic and international levels to "restore the rights of the Iranian nation."
WHO IS KASH PATEL AND WHY DID TRUMP PICK HIM TO LEAD THE FBI?
November 10, 2024
The DOJ report also reveals that Shakeri, who is currently at large and believed to be residing in Iran, "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." Shakeri is also accused of commissioning two New York men, Carlisle Rivera, 49, and Jonathon Loadholt, 36, to surveil and assassinate an American of Iranian origin for a sum of $100,000. This individual, self-identified journalist Masih Alinejad, is a vocal critic of the Iranian regime and resides in the United States.
STRANGER THINGS: ELON MUSK GETS BUY-IN FROM VERY UNLIKELY ALLY!
In a statement, Attorney General Merrick Garland declared, "We will not stand for the Iranian regime’s attempts to endanger the American people and America’s national security." Shakeri, Rivera, and Loadholt are now facing charges of murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and money laundering conspiracy. These charges carry maximum penalties ranging from 10 to 20 years in prison. Shakeri is also charged with 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. Each of these charges carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
This unfolding story underscores the ongoing tensions between the United States and Iran, and the need for vigilance in protecting American citizens and interests from potential threats.
