The United States has charged an Iranian man in connection with an alleged plot ordered by Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) to assassinate president-elect Donald Trump, the Justice Department said on Friday.
In a statement, the department said that Shakeri had informed law enforcement "that he was tasked on October 7, 2024, with providing a plan to kill" Trump, the department said.
The department described Shakeri as an IRGC asset residing in Tehran. It said he immigrated to the US as a child and was deported in or about 2008 following a robbery conviction.
The department said it had charged two other individuals in connection with their alleged involvement in a plot to kill a US citizen of Iranian origin in New York.
Officials affiliated with Trump warned that the assassination attempt would likely lead to further sanctions against Tehran.
Iran denies involvement
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei denied the accusations on Saturday, the ministry published on X/Twitter, claiming that it was a "Zionist" "conspiracy" "aimed at further complicating the issues between the US and Iran. "
The spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei, categorically dismissed allegations that Iran was involved in attempts to assassinate former and current US officials and described the claims as completely baseless and rejected. Baghaei highlighted that similar accusations have been made in… pic.twitter.com/hpVXYYHhdU
— Foreign Ministry, Islamic Republic of Iran (@IRIMFA_EN) November 9, 2024