The U.S. Department of Justice has filed criminal charges against Farhad Shakeri, an Afghan citizen allegedly directed by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to plot the assassination of former U.S. President Donald Trump. According to the charges, Shakeri was instructed in October to create a plan targeting Trump before the U.S. presidential election.
However, Shakeri reportedly told U.S. investigators that he did not intend to complete the plan within the IRGC’s requested timeline. The complaint, unsealed in a Manhattan federal court, alleges Shakeri’s connection to the IRGC, an organization linked to several assassination attempts on individuals considered enemies of the Iranian regime.
Attorney General Merrick Garland stated that the Justice Department had charged an asset of Iran’s government for orchestrating operations with criminal associates to execute assassination plots in the United States, naming Trump as a specific target.
Garland highlighted Iran’s persistent threat to U.S. national security, positioning the IRGC’s operations as particularly dangerous. Although Iran has not responded to these recent allegations, it has previously rejected similar accusations regarding assassination plots targeting foreign political figures, including Trump.
In addition to the alleged plot against Trump, Shakeri and two New York residents, Carlisel Rivera and Jonathon Lodholt, were implicated in a separate plan to assassinate a U.S. journalist critical of Iran. Rivera and Lodholt allegedly conducted surveillance on the journalist and sent updates to Shakeri, who is believed to be residing in Iran.
Donald Trump
The Justice Department also detailed Shakeri’s criminal history, noting he was deported from the United States in 2008 after serving a prison sentence for robbery. Since his deportation, Shakeri has reportedly recruited criminal associates to assist the IRGC with intelligence gathering and assassination efforts.
Additionally, the Justice Department claims Shakeri was offered $500,000 by the IRGC to surveil and kill two Jewish American citizens in New York. He, along with Rivera and Lodholt, now faces charges for murder-for-hire and money laundering, while Shakeri faces further charges related to aiding a foreign terrorist organization.
These charges reflect a broader effort by U.S. authorities to dismantle IRGC-linked networks involved in surveillance and assassination attempts on U.S. soil.
The FBI and the Justice Department have noted an increase in threats against Trump since mid-2023, though they do not connect recent assassination attempts to foreign governments. Nevertheless, reports indicate that Iran’s motives could stem from retribution for the U.S.-ordered drone strike that killed IRGC Commander Qassem Soleimani in 2020.
The Justice Department reiterated that Iran actively targets U.S. nationals and allies abroad, aiming to suppress dissent and exact revenge for actions like the Soleimani strike, a decision made under Trump’s presidency.
