In recently disclosed court documents, the Justice Department reported that Iranian officials instructed Farhad Shakeri, 51, in September to conduct surveillance on former President Donald Trump and ultimately orchestrate an assassination attempt. Shakeri remains at large in Iran, according to authorities.
This newly revealed plot represents the latest alleged attempt on Trump’s life by the Iranian regime.
Prosecutors allege that Shakeri, who engaged in recorded discussions with law enforcement, initially received orders from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to carry out other assassinations targeting American and Israeli citizens within the United States. However, IRGC officials redirected Shakeri’s focus solely toward Trump on October 7, according to court documents, giving him a seven-day deadline to devise a plan.
Shakeri, an Afghan national residing in Tehran, reportedly informed investigators that if he couldn’t finalize a plan within the specified timeframe, the IRGC would postpone the operation until after the U.S. presidential election, anticipating Trump’s potential electoral defeat.
Two other individuals, American citizens Carlisle Rivera and Jonathan Loadholt, were arrested in New York in connection with aiding the Iranian government’s surveillance of another U.S. citizen of Iranian descent. The Justice Department stated they made their initial court appearance on Thursday and are being held pending trial.
Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray condemned these continued threats by the Iranian government against U.S. individuals in statements issued Friday.
“There are few actors in the world that pose as grave a threat to the national security of the United States as does Iran,” Garland stated. “The Justice Department has charged an asset of the Iranian regime who was directed to manage a network of criminal associates to advance Iran’s assassination plans against its targets, including former President Donald Trump.”
Iran’s Foreign Ministry, posting on the social media platform X on Saturday, dismissed the allegations as “completely baseless,” claiming that “similar accusations have been made in the past” and consistently refuted by Iran. They referred to the accusations as part of a “malicious conspiracy” intended to worsen U.S.-Iran relations.
The U.S. government has frequently expressed concern that Iran might seek retaliation for the 2020 U.S. drone strike that killed Qasem Soleimani, a top IRGC general, by targeting Trump or his former advisors.
Shakeri, in a series of five FBI interviews, described meeting a senior IRGC official through his work in the Iranian oil and fuel industry. When the official learned of Shakeri’s past residence in New York, he sought assistance in “investigating” U.S.-based individuals. Shakeri indicated he met with this official over a dozen times in various Tehran restaurants.
Court documents indicate that Shakeri leveraged a “network of criminal associates” he encountered during a prior stint in New York’s prison system, relying on them to provide Iranian officials with U.S.-based operatives to conduct surveillance and plot assassinations.
Shakeri allegedly paid his associates, including his two co-defendants, to track potential targets for assassination on behalf of Iranian officials. Iranian-American journalist and political activist Masih Alinejad confirmed on Friday that she was one of the targets.
The two defendants allegedly monitored Alinejad during a speaking engagement earlier this year, as well as at her New York residence. In a recorded voice memo, Rivera allegedly told Loadholt, “This [expletive] is hard to catch, bro. And because she’s hard to catch, it’s not going to be a simple approach unless luck favors us.”
Other recordings reportedly include discussions on where Alinejad spent her time at home and potential assassination tactics. According to the complaint, Rivera and Loadholt sought a $100,000 advance payment from Shakeri to “get it done.”
Prosecutors say IRGC officials also instructed Shakeri to plan a mass shooting targeting Israeli tourists in Sri Lanka, prompting U.S. and Sri Lankan authorities to issue warnings about possible attacks. Shakeri was also reportedly tasked with surveilling and planning the assassination of two Jewish businesspeople residing in New York City.
