Iran told Biden administration it won’t try to assassinate President-elect Trump: report
In a surprising turn of events, Iran reportedly assured the Biden administration last month that it would not carry out an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. This secret exchange was intended to ease tensions between the two countries, according to U.S. officials who spoke to the Wall Street Journal.
The assurances were conveyed in a written message to the administration on October 14th, following a statement by the White House in September that any attempt on Trump’s life would be considered a serious national security threat and treated as an act of war.
The Department of Justice recently outlined allegations against Tehran, detailing a plot by an Iranian agent to assassinate Trump while he was on the campaign trail. This came after a Pakistani man involved in an Iranian murder-for-hire scheme was charged by federal prosecutors in August for plotting to kill the former president.
Iran has maintained that it seeks revenge for the 2020 killing of its top military commander, Qassem Soleimani, who was assassinated in Iraq after then-President Trump directed the U.S. military to take him out. Soleimani has since been hailed as a hero and a martyr in Iran.
In response to Iran’s pledge not to assassinate the now president-elect, the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations declined to comment on the specifics of the exchange, stating that they do not issue public statements on such matters. They emphasized Iran’s commitment to pursuing justice for Soleimani’s assassination through legal channels and in accordance with international law.
The White House has not yet publicly responded to the report, and efforts to reach Trump’s transition team for comment have been unsuccessful. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi appeared to dismiss the Department of Justice’s allegations, referring to them as “third-rate comedy” earlier this week.
The situation highlights the ongoing tensions between the United States and Iran, as both countries navigate delicate diplomatic relations. It remains to be seen how this latest development will impact future interactions between the two nations.
Caitlin McFall, a Reporter at Fox News Digital covering Politics, U.S. and World news, contributed to this article.
