Iran International
Tehran’s firebrand Kayhan daily rejected a Wall Street Journal report that Iran had provided written assurances to the Biden administration not to target Donald Trump, asserting that no such guarantees could ever be made.
“What reasonable mind could conceive that Iran would offer guarantees against holding the perpetrators of Martyr Soleimani’s assassination accountable?” the ultra-hardline daily, whose managing editor Hossein Shariatmadari is an appointee of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, asked on Friday.
"No one in Iran can absolve the criminal Trump or offer assurances to the Americans that the killers of Martyr Soleimani will not face punishment. Additionally, alongside the pursuit of retribution by the Iranian nation and the Islamic Republic, other nations and resistance groups in the region and around the world are also seeking justice for the blood of Martyr Soleimani..." Kayhan wrote.
Qasem Soleimani, the former commander of the IRGC's Quds Force, was killed in a 2020 US drone strike near Baghdad International Airport on orders from then-President Donald Trump. This act has made Trump and his aides targets of alleged Iranian retaliation plots.
Kayhan issued a veiled threat on Friday, writing: “While some may label Trump a fool, it is unlikely that he is so oblivious as to fail to understand that no guarantees exist to shield him from accountability and retribution.”
Kayhan's statements come at a time when there are reports of a meeting between Trump's ally Elon Musk and Iran's UN envoy in New York earlier this week. Other Iranian newspapers criticized Kayhan for potentially jeopardizing efforts to reduce tensions with the US.
Iranian officials on numerous occasions since 2020 have issued threats against Trump and top officials of his first administration, such as former CIA Director Mike Pompeo and National Security Chief John Bolton.
Details of one such alleged plot emerged last week when the US Justice Department unsealed murder-for-hire charges against Farhad Shakeri, a 51-year-old Afghan national accused of being connected to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in a plan to target Trump.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Iran had sent written assurances to the Biden administration last month, denying any intent to assassinate Trump. This communication responded to a private American warning issued in September, highlighting the administration’s stance that threats against Trump would represent aggression against the United States.
US officials underlined that any attempt on Trump’s life would be treated as an act of war, aligning with the administration’s public position, the Wall Street Journal wrote.
Kayhan’s editorial diverged from the Iranian government’s official position, which had already dismissed accusations of a plot to assassinate Trump as fabricated. Last week, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman described the allegations as “suspicious, malicious, and baseless.”
In response, Kayhan questioned: “The idea that Iran’s alleged assassination plot against Trump is false and that the referenced report is baseless is true. But why is assassinating Trump considered a malicious act? Eliminating the murderer of Martyr Soleimani, Martyr Abu Mahdi, and countless other oppressed people is a noble, righteous, and necessary act—not a malicious one.”
The daily later softened its tone, noting that the Foreign Ministry had explained the use of the word “malicious” differently, seemingly clearing up the misunderstanding.
Since Trump’s election in 2016, Iranian politicians have been divided over how to address his tough stance on Iran. Some have advocated for diplomacy, while others have leaned toward strong defensive strategies, including nuclear deterrence.
Meanwhile, sources cited by Financial Times on Saturday revealed that Trump’s incoming administration plans to revive its “maximum pressure” campaign to cripple Iran’s ability to fund regional proxies and develop nuclear weapons. The team intends to tighten sanctions on Tehran, particularly its vital oil exports, immediately after taking office.
