TEHRAN: Iran on Saturday categorically dismissed allegations of involvement in an alleged plot to assassinate former and current US officials, including President-elect Donald Trump, terming the claims “completely unfounded,” Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency reported.
The US Department of Justice had previously announced charges against Farhad Shakeri, an Afghan national, for allegedly conspiring on behalf of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to kill Trump.
The charges stemmed from Shakeri’s claims that he had been instructed by the IRGC in September 2024 to organize surveillance and plan the assassination of Trump before the US presidential election.
In a statement on Saturday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei rejected accusations made by the US Department of Justice after the arrest of a suspect.
The spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei, categorically dismissed allegations that Iran was involved in attempts to assassinate former and current US officials and described the claims as completely baseless and rejected.
Baghaei highlighted that similar accusations have been made in… pic.twitter.com/hpVXYYHhdU
— Foreign Ministry, Islamic Republic of Iran 🇮🇷 (@IRIMFA_EN) November 9, 2024
Baghaei referenced previous “similar accusations” denied by Iran, which he described as a “repulsive conspiracy” orchestrated by Israel and anti-Iranian factions “to further complicate matters between the US and Iran.”
According to the US Department of Justice charges, Farhad Shaker allegedly sought to assassinate Trump before the US presidential election on orders from IRGC.
Baghaei denied the allegations, affirming that Iran would use “all legitimate and legal means, both domestically and internationally, to defend the rights of the Iranian nation.”
The statement follows Trump’s recent election as US president, sparking concerns that his close ties with Israel may further strain relations between Tehran and Washington.
Trump, who served as president from 2017 to 2021, was known for a confrontational stance toward Iran, particularly after his administration withdrew unilaterally from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018.
Iranian Vice President for Strategic Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif on Saturday urged US President-elect Donald Trump to reconsider the “maximum pressure” policy he pursued against Tehran during his first term.
“Trump must show that he is not following the wrong policies of the past,” Zarif told reporters.
ALSO READ: Iran Urges Trump to Reconsider ‘Maximum Pressure’ Policy
Zarif, a veteran diplomat who previously served as Iran’s foreign minister, helped seal the 2015 nuclear accord between Tehran and Western powers, including the United States.
The deal however was torpedoed in 2018 after the US unilaterally withdrew from it under Trump, who later reimposed sanctions on Tehran.
Earlier this week, Iran’s government spokeswoman downplayed the significance of the US election outcome, stating that it “does not matter” who becomes president.
Speaking to reporters in Tehran on Wednesday following a weekly Cabinet meeting, Fatemeh Mohajerani confirmed that Iran’s overall policies remain unchanged.
