The U.S. Department of Justice has unsealed charges against three individuals involved in an alleged plot orchestrated by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to assassinate former President Donald Trump and an outspoken Iranian-American journalist based in New York. The charges underscore ongoing tensions between Washington and Tehran, particularly following the assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in 2020, an event that ignited heightened hostilities between the two nations.
The primary suspect, Farhad Shakeri, an Afghan national currently residing in Iran, is accused of orchestrating a scheme under IRGC orders to kill Trump as part of Iran’s efforts to avenge Soleimani’s death. According to the DOJ, Shakeri, 51, who had immigrated to the United States as a child, was deported in 2008 after serving 14 years in prison for robbery. He has since reportedly utilized his U.S.-based criminal connections to recruit individuals capable of executing assassination and surveillance assignments for the IRGC.
Shakeri was allegedly approached by an IRGC officer in September 2024 to develop an assassination plan targeting Trump. FBI reports indicate that Shakeri communicated with federal agents, who were posing as intermediaries, to obtain a sentence reduction for a U.S.-based inmate. During these calls, he outlined the IRGC’s desire to have Trump killed, estimating the plot’s cost to be “huge,” a financial concern that the IRGC reportedly dismissed, affirming that “money’s not an issue.” Shakeri was instructed to prepare a plan within a week, with Iranian officials noting they could carry out the plot after the U.S. election if necessary, predicting that Trump might lose, which could ease operational obstacles.
In a related charge, Shakeri reportedly directed two associates—Carlisle Rivera, 49, and Jonathon Loadholt, 36—to surveil a prominent Iranian-American dissident in New York. Rivera and Loadholt, both U.S. residents, have since been arrested and appeared in court. The target, while unnamed in court documents, is widely believed to be Masih Alinejad, an outspoken critic of Iran’s government and a known figure for her work advocating human rights, particularly women’s rights in Iran.
This attempted attack is not isolated; similar incidents targeting U.S.-based Iranian dissidents have occurred in recent years. In October, U.S. prosecutors charged an IRGC general with involvement in a separate assassination attempt on Alinejad. The Justice Department’s recent disclosures add to a growing list of incidents where the U.S. alleges that Iranian operatives attempted to eliminate Iranian-American activists who publicly oppose the Iranian regime.
FBI Director Christopher Wray condemned these alleged plots, emphasizing the “brazen” attempts by Iran to threaten American citizens and government figures. Wray stressed the importance of protecting freedom of speech and expression, noting that the DOJ would continue to pursue those who attempt to harm U.S. residents for political purposes.
Iran’s foreign ministry responded strongly to the allegations, categorizing them as “totally unfounded.” Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei expressed Tehran’s firm rejection of any involvement in assassination attempts targeting U.S. officials, suggesting that such claims are intended to “defame” Iran. However, the United States has consistently cited intelligence that points to a longstanding Iranian policy of retaliating against figures it views as instrumental in Soleimani’s killing.
Tensions around the Trump administration’s actions in 2020 have heightened the political stakes between the two countries. Soleimani’s assassination, a U.S. drone strike carried out in Baghdad under Trump’s directive, was celebrated in Washington but widely criticized abroad, particularly in Iran, where Soleimani held a revered status. U.S. officials believe the IRGC views assassinations of American leaders as justified reprisals.
Further complicating matters, the State Department recently offered a $20 million reward for information leading to the arrest of another IRGC-linked individual allegedly involved in an assassination plot against former national security adviser John Bolton. In another case earlier this year, a Pakistani national with purported ties to Iran was charged in New York after attempting to hire a hitman to kill a U.S. politician.
These allegations and subsequent charges represent not only an escalation in U.S.-Iranian hostilities but also a spotlight on the IRGC’s international influence and the American government’s commitment to countering foreign interference.
