Washington/Tehran: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian dismissed allegations that Iran plotted to assassinate Republican U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. In an interview with NBC News on Tuesday, Pezeshkian denied claims previously made by Trump and the U.S. government, categorically rejecting any involvement.
In November, the U.S. Justice Department charged an Iranian national with being part of an alleged plot orchestrated by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps to target Trump. Authorities thwarted the plan before it materialized. During the U.S. election campaign, Trump alleged that Iran might have been behind attempts on his life.
“None whatsoever,” Pezeshkian said when asked if there had been any such plan. “We have never attempted this to begin with, and we never will.”
Also Read | Trump Plans to Overhaul Trade Revenue with New Government Agency
The allegations date back to two reported assassination attempts on Trump during his campaign. The first incident occurred in September while he was golfing at his West Palm Beach, Florida, course. The second took place during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July. Investigations into both cases found no evidence linking Iran to the incidents.
Also Read | Fire Crews Hold the Line as Santa Ana Winds Intensify LA Blaze
Iran has consistently denied U.S. claims of interfering in American affairs, including allegations of cyber operations. Tehran has pointed to what it describes as decades of U.S. interference in Iranian matters, citing the 1953 CIA-backed coup against Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh and the 2020 drone strike that killed top Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani.
