Iran’s acting foreign minister categorically rejected the idea that his country could have had a plan to assassinate Donald Trump, contradicting several statements by high-ranking officials who have threatened the former US president in the past few years.
In an interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, Iranian foreign minister Ali Bagheri-Kani confirmed Iran’s will to “bring to justice” those who killed the country’s most prominent military figure Qasem Soleimani, in 2020, but insisted that all efforts to that end would be “legal and judicial”.
General Soleimani was killed in a ‘targeted assassination’ ordered by the then US president Trump. The killing shocked Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who mourned the loss of his top general and vowed to punish the perpetrators with a “harsh revenge.”
Politico reported this week that the US intelligence community has received an increasing amount of evidence to suggest that Iran is actively working on plots to kill former President Donald Trump.
That promise was taken up by several Iranian officials who translated Khamenei’s words to issue direct threats against Trump. There’s no evidence, of course, to suggest that Trump’s shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, had any links to Iran, but the threats have been clear and well-documented, contrary to what Iran’s acting foreign minister told CNN.
Below comes a number of instances where prominent Iranian figures spoke of the regime’s intention to target Donald Trump.
January 2021, Supreme Leader Khamenei
Following Khamenei’s proclamation of a “harsh revenge”, his official account on X (then Twitter) published an image of Trump on a golf course under the shadow of a drone, hinting at his targeting. That post has since been deleted.
Khamenei’s official website also released an animation with the same theme, showing IRGC forces killing Trump using a robot.
December 2020, Qaani, Commander of IRGC Quds Force
On the anniversary of Soleimani’s assassination, his successor, Ismail Qaani, hinted at the intention to target Trump in an address to Iran’s parliament. “American agents involved in the assassination of martyr Soleimani should learn the secretive life of Salman Rushdie because the Islamic Republic will avenge his unjustly-spilled blood.”
January 2021, Qaani, Commander of IRGC Quds Force
Qaani reiterated his threat in yet another occasion to commemorate his predecessor. This time more directly: “Trump and others who were with him are all known to us. From [Mike] Pompeo, who no one humiliated as much as martyr Soleimani, to the US president and all those involved in this crime, [they] are all under the microscope (not only of Muslims but) of all free people of the world.”
January 2022, President Raisi
"If Trump and (former Secretary of State Mike) Pompeo are not tried in a fair court for the criminal act of assassinating General Soleimani, Muslims will take our martyr's revenge.”
July 2022, Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian
Two years before dying in a helicopter crash, Iran’s foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said what had happened to Soleimani would “never be forgotten.” He did explain Iran’s legal and diplomatic efforts, including appeals to the International Law Commission.
In an interview with Iran’s state TV, he said: “One action we have taken has been to place the perpetrators and instigators of this crime on the terrorist blacklist, and those who have been listed do not sleep easily… They wanted to resolve this through intermediaries, but we rejected their offer.”
February 2023, Hajizadeh, Commander of IRGC Air Force
Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the IRGC Aerospace Commander, appeared on a TV program to explain Iran’s actions to avenge Soleimani. He said, “We did not intend to kill [US soldiers]. God willing, we will kill Trump, Pompeo, [Frank] McKenzie, and the military commanders who ordered [Soleimani’s assassination].”
