Authored by Dave DeCamp via AntiWar.com,
Former President Donald Trump made headlines on Wednesday by promoting a narrative, backed by US intelligence officials, suggesting that Iran is plotting to assassinate him. Despite the lack of concrete evidence linking Iran to any attempts on his life, Trump’s campaign revealed that they were briefed on this alleged threat by officials from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, led by Avril Haines. In a tweet following the briefing, Trump expressed concern about the situation, stating, “Big threats on my life by Iran. The entire US Military is watching and waiting. Moves were already made by Iran that didn’t work out, but they will try again.”
This claim initially surfaced in a CNN report in July, following an assassination attempt by Thomas Matthew Crooks, who was killed by the Secret Service. However, intelligence officials speaking to The New York Times reaffirmed that there was no connection to Iran in the July incident. Similarly, there is no evidence linking Ryan Routh, recently charged with attempting to assassinate Trump, to Iran. Routh, known for his support of the Ukraine proxy war, traveled to the country to recruit fighters for the Ukrainian foreign legion.
Despite the lack of concrete evidence, Trump suggested at a recent campaign event that Iran may have been involved in the assassination attempts. He went on to state that if he were president, he would respond by threatening to destroy Iran’s largest cities and the country itself if any harm came to him.
These accusations come at a time of heightened tensions in the Middle East, with Israel escalating its bombing campaign in Lebanon. However, recent actions by Iran, such as providing warnings before retaliatory attacks on Israel and engaging in negotiations to prevent escalation, indicate a reluctance to engage in conflict with the US.
Iran’s new president, Masoud Peseshkian, has expressed a desire for direct negotiations with the US, emphasizing that Iran is not hostile and seeks goodwill with America. Despite occasional vows of revenge from members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for the assassination of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, Iran has stated that Trump should face legal consequences for his actions.
In response to Trump’s claims, Iran’s mission to the UN has dismissed them as unsubstantiated and malicious, asserting that Trump should be held accountable in a court of law for his role in Soleimani’s assassination.
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