Revealed: Iranian Plot to Assassinate Donald Trump

News Today: Iranian plot to assassinate Donald Trump, sparking heightened security measures

Protection for Donald Trump was boosted several weeks ago after US authorities learned of an Iranian plot to assassinate him, according to national security officials. Officials say there is no known connection between the alleged Iranian plot and the assassination attempt on Trump in Pennsylvania on Saturday.

Despite increased security, questions remain about how Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, managed to climb a building and get close enough to fire at Trump. The US Secret Service and the Trump campaign were notified of the Iranian threat, leading to enhanced security measures, including extra counter-assault and counter-sniper agents, drones, and robotic dogs.

Intelligence sources revealed that the Secret Service bolstered security in June in response to the Iranian threat. These details were obtained through “human source intelligence” amid increased Iranian chatter about attacks on Trump. Trump and officials like his former secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, have faced threats from Tehran since the 2020 drone strike assassination of Qassim Soleimani, commander of Iran’s Quds force.

The Iranian mission at the United Nations called the report “unsubstantiated and malicious,” stating that Trump should be prosecuted and punished for his actions. Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesman for the US Secret Service, said the agency is constantly adjusting resources in response to new potential threats. Adrienne Watson, a spokeswoman for the White House National Security Council, emphasized the priority of tracking Iranian threats against former Trump administration officials, noting they arise from Iran’s desire for revenge for Soleimani’s killing.

In 2022, the Department of Justice announced charges against an Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps member for plotting to kill John Bolton. President Joe Biden has ordered an independent review of how the gunman could get so close to Trump, and Congress is also probing the Secret Service.