Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani on Wednesday dismissed US media reports alleging a plot by Tehran to assassinate former President Donald Trump.
This response followed a CNN report on Tuesday claiming that US authorities “obtained intelligence from a human source in recent weeks on a plot by Iran to try to assassinate Trump,” prompting the Secret Service to enhance security measures around the former president.
In a statement issued early Wednesday, Kanaani emphasised Iran’s determination to prosecute Trump for his direct role in the “crime” of assassinating top Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani in Iraq in January 2020.
However, he strongly rejected any involvement in or intention of undertaking a recent armed attack against Trump, labelling the claims as politically motivated.
“Such claims are made based on biassed political objectives and motivations,” Kanaani said.
The assassination attempt on Trump took place during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday. The attacker, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, left one spectator dead and two critically injured. Trump survived with an ear injury.
CNN’s report quoted a US national security official stating that the Secret Service and Trump campaign had been made aware of Iran’s “threat” prior to the rally.
However, there was no indication that Crooks was connected to the alleged plot.
In New York, Iran’s UN mission issued a statement rejecting CNN’s claim as “baseless and biassed,” according to the official news agency IRNA. The statement reiterated Iran’s stance that Trump should face legal consequences for ordering Soleimani’s assassination and stressed that Tehran had opted for a legal path to hold Trump accountable.
