An Iranian man, Farhad Shakeri, has been charged by the U.S. Justice Department in connection with an alleged plot by Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) to assassinate former President Donald Trump. Shakeri, 51, who U.S. authorities have identified as an “Iranian asset,” was reportedly tasked by the Iranian regime in October 2023 to orchestrate Trump’s killing. The plot, which was foiled before it could be executed, came after two previous assassination attempts on Trump’s life, including a bullet grazing his ear at a Pennsylvania rally in July 2023. A second attempt occurred later that year in Florida when shots were fired near Trump’s location, though he was unharmed.

Attorney General Merrick Garland confirmed the charges, stating that Shakeri was directed by the Iranian regime to lead a network of criminal associates to carry out the assassination. FBI Director Christopher Wray also commented on the case, highlighting the ongoing threats posed by the IRGC to U.S. citizens, including political leaders like Trump. The IRGC, designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. government, has been accused of plotting to silence individuals critical of the Iranian regime.

Shakeri, who had immigrated to the U.S. as a child, was deported in 2008 after being convicted of robbery. Authorities believe he is currently in Iran. In addition to the Trump plot, Shakeri has been charged with hiring two men in New York, Carlisle Rivera and Jonathan Loadholt, to murder an Iranian-American who had publicly opposed the Iranian government.

With Trump’s return to the White House anticipated in January 2024, his security has been heightened, with robotic dogs now deployed to patrol his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

An Iranian man, Farhad Shakeri, has been charged by the U.S. Justice Department in connection with an alleged plot by Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) to assassinate former President Donald Trump. Shakeri, 51, who U.S. authorities have identified as an “Iranian asset,” was reportedly tasked by the Iranian regime in October 2023 to orchestrate Trump’s killing. The plot, which was foiled before it could be executed, came after two previous assassination attempts on Trump’s life, including a bullet grazing his ear at a Pennsylvania rally in July 2023. A second attempt occurred later that year in Florida when shots were fired near Trump’s location, though he was unharmed.

Attorney General Merrick Garland confirmed the charges, stating that Shakeri was directed by the Iranian regime to lead a network of criminal associates to carry out the assassination. FBI Director Christopher Wray also commented on the case, highlighting the ongoing threats posed by the IRGC to U.S. citizens, including political leaders like Trump. The IRGC, designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. government, has been accused of plotting to silence individuals critical of the Iranian regime.

Shakeri, who had immigrated to the U.S. as a child, was deported in 2008 after being convicted of robbery. Authorities believe he is currently in Iran. In addition to the Trump plot, Shakeri has been charged with hiring two men in New York, Carlisle Rivera and Jonathan Loadholt, to murder an Iranian-American who had publicly opposed the Iranian government.

With Trump’s return to the White House anticipated in January 2024, his security has been heightened, with robotic dogs now deployed to patrol his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.