On Friday, Nov. 8, the U.S. Department of Justice announced charges against three men: two Americans and one Iranian national, Farhad Shakeri. The FBI writes, “In particular, Shakeri has informed law enforcement that he was tasked on Oct. 7, 2024, with providing a plan to kill President-elect Donald J. Trump.” Shakeri, it is claimed, is an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) asset who directed a network of criminal associates with whom he met while serving a 14-year prison sentence in the U.S. (though he now resides in Tehran). The two Americans are accused of surveilling an Iranian-American journalist who is critical of the Iranian regime, and of plotting her murder, in exchange for a promised $100,000 from Shakeri.
The FBI press release claims Shakeri informed authorities that “he was tasked on Oct. 7, 2024, with providing a plan to kill President-elect Donald J. Trump. During the interview, Shakeri claimed he did not intend to propose a plan to kill Trump within the timeframe set by the IRGC. He also stated he was tasked with surveilling two Jewish American citizens residing in New York City and offered $500,000 by an IRGC official for the murder of either victim. He was also tasked with targeting Israeli tourists in Sri Lanka.”
