Soleimani’s Revenge: Alleged Iranian Plot to Assassinate Trump Prompted Security Increase in Recent Weeks

United States authorities obtained intelligence in recent weeks about an alleged plot by Iran to try to assassinate former president Donald Trump, which prompted the Secret Service to increase security, CNN reported, citing multiple people briefed on the matter..Since the killing of IRGC General Qasem Soleimani in 2020, Iran has vowed revenge against Trump and other government officials of his administration..Alleged Plot.An official told CNN that once the threat was identified by the National Security Council, the information was passed on to the Secret Service (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," the official added..Likewise, there is no indication that Saturday's attempted assassination of Trump was related to the alleged Iranian plot. Details of the potential threat remain unknown..Recent Warnings.This past March, the assistant director for the FBI's Counterterrorism Division, Robert Wells, warned that "Iran continues to plot attacks against former government officials in retaliation for the death of IRGC-QF Commander Qasem Soleimani," such as targeted assassinations, while speaking to the House Committee on Homeland Security..Wells referenced a case involving IRGC operative Shahram Poursafi, who attempted to pay individuals in the United States $300,000 to assassinate former National Security Advisor John Bolton in revenge for Soleimani's death. Poursafi remains at large, likely in Iran..Wells' statements also came just two weeks after the FBI announced that it was seeking information on Iranian intelligence officer Majid Dastjani Farahani, who has also been accused of being involved in the "recruitment of individuals for various operations in the United States, to include lethal targeting of current and former United States Government officials as revenge for the killing of IRGC-QF Commander Qasem Soleimani.".Prior Warnings.In 2022, both the National Counterterrorism Center and the Director of National Intelligence warned of continued threats and plots against former officials..The National Counterterrorism Center reported that "The Iranian regime is waging a multipronged campaign — including threats of lethal action, international legal maneuvering, and the issuance of Iranian arrest warrants and sanctions — against select US officials to avenge the death of IRGC-QF Commander Soleimani in January 2020, raising the threat at home and abroad for those Iran views as responsible for the killing."."Since January 2021, Tehran has publicly expressed a willingness to conduct lethal operations inside the United States and has consistently identified former President Donald Trump, former Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, and former CENTCOM Commander General Kenneth McKenzie as among its priority targets for retribution."."Iran would probably view the killing or prosecution of a US official it considers equivalent in rank and stature to Soleimani or responsible for his death as successful retaliatory actions," the report added..While testifying in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee, United States Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines stated that Iran is still trying to "seek revenge" against the United States, explaining that "A fair amount of their motivation in this scenario we assess to be in relation to Soleimani as part of their sort of efforts for revenge, and is a particularly challenging area, I think, to deter them from action in this space.".Iranian Threats.Back in January 2022, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi vowed "revenge" if former President Donald Trump was not criminally tried in court over the assassination of Soleimani..While speaking during commemorations on the two-year anniversary of Soleimani's death, Raisi stated, "If Trump and [former Secretary of State Mike] Pompeo are not tried in a fair court for the criminal act of assassinating General Soleimani, Muslims will take our martyr's revenge," adding, "The aggressor, murderer and main culprit – the then president of the United States – must be tried and judged under the law of retribution, and God's ruling must be carried out against him.".This was followed by the release of an animated video threatening to drone strike Trump at Mar-A-Lago, stating, "Revenge is definite.".Iran has previously attempted to issue an international warrant for Trump's arrest over the killing in January 2021 and has called on the UN to take action, but nothing has happened.