Just when you had hoped you’d heard the last about attempts on President-elect Trump’s life, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) has levied charges against an Iranian national implicated in a plot to kill our next President. And this should be a surprise to no one; Iran is behind it.

This revelation underscores the persistent threats from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) against former U.S. officials, particularly in retaliation for the 2020 killing of IRGC Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani. Soleimani, as you’ll likely remember, was killed by a US drone strike in January 2020 in Baghdad on the orders of President Trump. The attack also killed Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who was the deputy commander of Iran-backed militias in Iraq, known as the Popular Mobilization Forces. 

Details of the Assassination Plot

According to the DOJ, Farhad Shakeri, 51, an Iranian national living in Tehran, was directed in September of 2024 by an IRGC official to develop a plan to surveil and ultimately assassinate President-elect Trump. Shakeri allegedly also communicated with two individuals in New York, offering $100,000 for the murder of an American of Iranian origin who is a vocal critic of the Iranian regime. These individuals were, in fact, undercover law enforcement agents, leading to the exposure of the plot. You can read the DOJ documents on the case here. Below, I’ve thrown in page one. 

US Court complaint

By October 7th, the IRGC grew impatient, and they demanded that Shakeri devise a plan within a week to kill Trump. Shakeri informed investigators that he had no intention of meeting the deadline. The IRGC official allegedly stated that if the plan could not be finalized within the week, it would be postponed until after the election, assuming Trump’s defeat would make him an easier target.

The plot was part of a broader scheme that also targeted an Iranian-American journalist (believed to be Masih Alinejad), two Jewish-American businessmen in New York, and Israeli tourists in Sri Lanka.

American Involvement

According to information provided by the DOJ, Carlisle Rivera (also known as Pop) and Jonathan Loadholt played a significant role in the Iranian plot. They were the two Americans arrested in New York in connection with plotting with Shakeri. Their role was to assist in monitoring and potentially assassinating American targets. The pair were specifically accused of conducting surveillance on Alinejad. They monitored her during an event earlier in the year and at her New York City residence.

Rivera and Loadholt are cited in court documents as having discussed receiving a $100,000 payment from Shakeri to “get it done.” This was referring to the killing of Alinejad. The pair were charged with murder for hire and conspiracy to commit money laundering. They recently appeared in court and were ordered detained by the Justice Department. Shakeri is still at large and is believed to be somewhere in Iran.