A new Iranian plot to assassinate former President Donald Trump has been uncovered in a new report.
On Tuesday, CNN reported that U.S. officials recently learned that there was a plot to assassinate Trump by Iran, citing a U.S. National Security official speaking on the condition of anonymity.
The report comes shortly after Trump was shot in the ear at his campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
According to CNN, the assassination plot prompted officials with the U.S. Secret Service to increase security protections around Trump's campaign rallies ahead of the 2024 presidential election. The CNN report also stated that there was no information to connect the Iranian plot to the assassination attempt on Saturday.
Newsweek has been unable to independently verify the reporting from CNN.
In a statement to Newsweek, Secret Service Chief of Communication Anthony Guglielmi said, "The Secret Service and other agencies are constantly receiving new potential threat information and taking action to adjust resources, as needed. We cannot comment on any specific threat stream other than to say that the Secret Service takes threats seriously and responds accordingly."
Newsweek reached out to Trump's spokesperson via email for comment.
The Iranian Mission to the United Nations disputed the report, saying in a statement to Newsweek that "these accusations are unsubstantiated and malicious."
"From the perspective of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Trump is a criminal who must be prosecuted and punished in a court of law for ordering the assassination of General Soleimani," the Iranian Mission said. "Iran has chosen the legal path to bring him to justice."
The context
Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, was speaking at his rally in Butler on Saturday afternoon when shots were fired.
The former president was then seen grabbing his right ear as security agents flocked to protect him. The suspected gunman, now identified by the FBI as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, was shot and killed by the Secret Service.
A rally attendee was killed in the shooting incident and two others were critically injured.
What we know
The report from CNN detailed that U.S. National Security officials and members of the U.S. Secret Service were notified of the Iranian plot to assassinate Trump prior to his rally over the weekend.
"NSC directly contacted USSS at a senior level to be absolutely sure they continued to track the latest reporting. USSS shared this information with the detail lead, and the Trump campaign was made aware of an evolving threat. In response to the increased threat, Secret Service surged resources and assets for the protection of former President Trump. All of this was in advance of Saturday," a U.S. National Security official told CNN, speaking anonymously.
Iranian officials have been critical of Trump following the killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, which was ordered by the former president during his time in the White House.
In March, the FBI in Miami warned of an Iranian assassin who is wanted in connection to assassination targets against former and current public officials, including those previously involved in Trump's administration, such as former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Views
In a statement obtained by the New York Times, Adrienne Watson, a spokeswoman for the National Security Council said, "As we have said many times, we have been tracking Iranian threats against former Trump administration officials for years, dating back to the last administration."
"These threats arise from Iran's desire to seek revenge for the killing of Qassim Suleimani. We consider this a national and homeland security matter of the highest priority," Watson added.
CNN reporter Fareed Zakaria spoke with Iran's acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani on Tuesday and asked about the report regarding the assassination plot.
"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," Kani told CNN.
What's next
Trump is expected to speak at the Republican National Convention in Wisconsin this week. It is unclear if he will speak about the Iranian assassination plot during his speech.
The former president told the Washington Examiner this week that he changed his speech for the RNC after he was shot.
Update 7/16/24, 3:11 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with further information.
Update 7/16/24, 4:05 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with further information.
Update 7/16/24, 8:04 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with further information.
Update 7/16/24, 9:07 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with further information.
About the writer
Matthew Impelli is a Newsweek staff writer based in New York. His focus is reporting social issues and crime. In ... Read more
