'Unfounded': Iran dismisses allegations that it tried to assassinate Trump
What's the story
Iran has dismissed the United States's accusations of a plot to assassinate President-elect Donald Trump as "totally unfounded." The US Justice Department recently unsealed criminal charges against Farhad Shakeri, a 51-year-old Afghan national, who was allegedly commissioned by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to come up with a plan to assassinate Trump. US Attorney-General Merrick Garland said Shakeri was "tasked by the regime to direct a network of criminal associates" for assassination plots targeting Trump.
Plot details
Shakeri's alleged role and Iran's response to accusations
According to the criminal complaint, Shakeri divulged details of the assassination plot during phone conversations with Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents. He was reportedly looking for a sentence reduction for an imprisoned associate. Shakeri alleged that an IRGC official approached him in September about organizing Trump's assassination, adding that executing such a plan would require a "huge" amount of money.
Official denial
Iran's foreign ministry rejects assassination plot allegations
Iran's foreign ministry has vehemently denied these allegations. Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said that Iran's foreign ministry "rejects allegations that Iran is implicated in an assassination attempt targeting former or current American officials." The charges were announced on Friday by US prosecutors who allege that the assassination attempt was meant as retaliation for the death of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.
Further charges
Additional charges and reactions to the alleged plot
Along with Shakeri, two New York residents—Carlisle Rivera and Jonathon Loadholt—have also been charged with conspiring to kill an Iranian-American journalist in New York. The two men appeared in court on Thursday and are currently in US custody. Prosecutors did not identify the target, but it matched Masih Alinejad, a journalist and activist who has criticized Iran's head-covering rules for women.
Official statements
US Attorney General's statement and Trump's past attempts
US Attorney General Garland described Shakeri as an "Iranian asset" tasked with directing a network of criminal associates for Iran's assassination plots. This incident marks the third reported assassination attempt on Trump this year. In July, Trump survived an attempt when a bullet grazed his ear during a campaign event. Another attempt occurred three months later at his Florida golf club.