A recent report highlights how Iran allegedly orchestrated plots to assassinate U.S. President Donald Trump in 2024, before U.S. military actions struck back decisively against Iranian targets. The claims center on directives from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which sought to target Trump in retaliation for the 2020 U.S. drone strike that killed IRGC commander Qasem Soleimani. Multiple thwarted schemes emerged during Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, including one involving a Pakistani national tasked with recruiting hitmen on U.S. soil.
In one key case, Asif Merchant, a 47-year-old Pakistani businessman with family ties in Iran, was convicted in March 2026 in a New York federal court of murder-for-hire and attempted terrorism. Merchant testified that IRGC operatives blackmailed him by threatening his family in Tehran, forcing him to devise a plan involving document theft, staged protests as distractions, and the assassination of high-profile U.S. figures. Prosecutors stated the primary targets included Trump, then-President Joe Biden, and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley. Merchant attempted to hire undercover FBI agents posing as killers, leading to his arrest in July 2024 before any action could occur. He claimed he believed he would be caught and acted only under duress.
Another parallel plot involved Farhad Shakeri, an Afghan national and alleged IRGC asset believed to be in Iran and still at large. U.S. prosecutors charged him in November 2024 with murder-for-hire after he reportedly received IRGC orders in September 2024 to surveil and kill Trump (referred to as "Victim-4" in court documents). The directive reportedly urged a plan within one week, with a pause post-election if needed, assuming Trump would lose and become an easier target. These revelations came amid heightened U.S. intelligence warnings about Iranian threats, which prompted increased Secret Service protection for Trump during the campaign.
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The alleged plots fueled U.S. resolve in the escalating conflict with Iran. In early March 2026, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that U.S. strikes had killed the leader of an IRGC unit responsible for orchestrating assassination efforts against Trump. Hegseth described it as Trump getting the "last laugh," emphasizing that Iran had long intended to target him and other U.S. officials. President Trump himself referenced the threats personally, stating in interviews that the U.S. acted preemptively against Iran's supreme leader and others involved. The operations, part of broader U.S.-Israeli military actions, targeted Iranian facilities and personnel linked to these schemes.
The developments underscore persistent tensions rooted in the Soleimani killing and have drawn international attention to state-sponsored assassination risks against U.S. leaders. Iranian officials have denied the plots as baseless, while U.S. authorities continue to highlight them as justification for defensive measures. The cases remain part of ongoing investigations into foreign interference and threats to national security.
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