Iran denies involvement in alleged Trump assassination plot

After the events at a rally for the US presidential candidate, suspicions arose about an Iranian plot to assassinate Donald Trump. These reports stem from intelligence information obtained in recent weeks by US authorities. An Iranian representative addressed the issue.

CNN reports on the leads related to the assassination attempt on the former president, pointing toward Iran. Iran has repeatedly vowed revenge for the killing of Gen. Soleimani by the US military a few years ago—the station interviewed Iran's acting Foreign Minister, Ali Bagheri Kani.

The Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the UN denied these accusations, which suggested that the plot was related to retaliation for the assassination of Qasem Soleimani, the Iranian general who was killed during Trump's administration. The commander of Iraq's elite Al-Quds unit and one of the commanders of the Iraqi militia, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, were killed in Baghdad in a rocket attack in 2020. US authorities confirmed their involvement in that assassination at the time.

"I told you explicitly that we would resort to legal and judicial procedures and frameworks at the domestic level and international level in order to bring the perpetrators and military advisers of General Soleimani’s assassination to justice," said Kani. Whether this means no use of violent measures, Kani replied, "We will only resort to Iranian and international legal and judicial procedures."

"Until now, we have done it, and this is our right and of course we will continue it. And the Americans openly said that, that they assassinated the senior Iranian military commander. So it is our natural right in order to follow this issue, and those who are accused in this case, they should be brought to justice in a — in a just court," Kani said.

According to CNN, a US national security official said that before Saturday's Trump rally, information about the threat reached the services. Those involved in the former president's campaign were notified.

However, the warnings might have been general and unrelated to a specific threat. Meanwhile, CNN reports that, based on security service information, there are no findings about Thomas Crooks' connection to any environment, foreign or domestic.

For months, law enforcement officers have been concerned about the persistent threat from Iran, which is potentially trying to murder former Trump officials and the former president himself. There has been a noticeable increase in online messages from Iranian accounts mentioning Trump, raising security concerns among US officials, CNN learned.

It also turns out that Donald Trump's team and the presidential candidate do not intend to be intimidated by the weekend's events. Next Saturday, Trump and Republican vice-presidential candidate Senator JD Vance from Ohio will hold their first official campaign rally at an arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan.