Mike Pompeo, the former Secretary of State, has criticized the Biden administration in light of a recent intelligence report. The report, from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), suggests that Iran is actively working to influence the 2024 presidential election to prevent escalating conflicts with the U.S. Pompeo claims that the Biden administration’s policies of “weakness and appeasement” have inadvertently strengthened Iran’s position.
The ODNI briefing outlined that U.S. intelligence agencies have detected Iranian efforts to sway the election using extensive networks of online personas and propaganda. While the ODNI did not explicitly confirm that Iran’s target is Trump, the continued focus on the Republican candidate since 2020 suggests that Tehran remains interested in affecting the election outcome against Trump.
Pompeo Criticizes Biden Administration Over Iran’s Alleged Interference in 2024 Election
Pompeo responded to the report by expressing that Iran’s interference attempts were unsurprising. He attributed this to the perceived weakness of the U.S. administration under Biden, which, according to him, has empowered Iran. Pompeo criticized the Biden administration for enabling the Iranian regime, which he claimed was previously isolated and financially weakened during his tenure.
In reaction to these allegations, the Iranian government has denied any attempts to influence the U.S. election. The Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran dismissed the claims as psychological operations aimed at boosting election campaigns artificially. They also denied accusations of involvement in a separate plot to assassinate Trump, labeling those claims as “unsubstantiated and malicious.”
Additionally, during a Capitol Hill hearing, FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate indicated that while there is no current evidence linking Iran to the assassination attempt on Trump, the investigation remains open to all possibilities. The FBI is maintaining a broad investigative approach and has not ruled out any potential foreign involvement.
