Manhattan federal prosecutors have revealed a new plot involving operatives allegedly working under the direction of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to assassinate President Donald Trump.
The unsealed court records, released on Friday, detail a complex scheme aimed at surveilling and ultimately eliminating individuals deemed enemies by the Iranian regime, with Trump being the highest-profile target among them.
The Assassination Order
According to the documents, Farhad Shakeri, an operative believed to be operating from Iran, disclosed to FBI investigators that in September, he was instructed by unnamed IRGC officials to surveil and assassinate Trump. The assassination was intended to take place before the upcoming 2024 presidential election. However, Shakeri claimed that Iranian officials suggested delaying the operation if necessary, as they expected Trump to lose the election, which would purportedly make him an easier target.
Prosecutors allege that the IRGC communicated their readiness to fund the operation extensively, emphasizing that “money’s not an issue.” This indicated a significant financial commitment from the IRGC, which had already invested heavily in previous attempts to target Trump, designated in the court filings as “Victim-4.” Despite this, Shakeri allegedly hesitated, suggesting he had no immediate plan to carry out the assassination within the given timeframe.
Broader Scheme to Target Dissidents and Officials
The IRGC’s assassination plot against Trump was only part of a broader strategy to eliminate dissidents and perceived threats within the United States. Federal authorities have charged Shakeri along with two American accomplices, Carlisle Rivera of Brooklyn and Jonathan Loadholt of Staten Island, with murder-for-hire and providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization. Both Rivera and Loadholt were accused of participating in a separate attempt to murder a U.S. citizen of Iranian origin who has publicly criticized the Iranian government.
According to the criminal complaint, Shakeri recruited Rivera and Loadholt to conduct surveillance on this activist, including monitoring their movements at public events and around their residence in New York. The duo allegedly received payments for their efforts, including a promise of $100,000 to carry out the assassination. Text messages and surveillance footage obtained by the FBI showed Rivera and Loadholt’s repeated attempts to track the activist, even discussing possible strategies to ambush and kill the target. Despite their efforts, the assassination attempt did not materialize.
Threats Against U.S. Figures
This latest revelation follows a series of alleged Iranian plots targeting Trump and other high-profile figures. The U.S. Department of Justice has previously charged several operatives linked to the IRGC with planning attacks on U.S. soil. In one notable case earlier this year, Asif Merchant was arrested for allegedly conspiring to assassinate U.S. government officials, including Trump. In separate incidents over the summer, two American men attempted to assassinate Trump — one was shot dead by the Secret Service during a rally in Pennsylvania, while the other was apprehended at Trump’s Florida golf course with a semiautomatic rifle.
The IRGC’s targeting of Trump dates back to the January 2020 drone strike ordered by Trump, which killed Qassem Soleimani, a high-ranking Iranian general. Tehran has since vowed revenge, with state media and officials issuing threats and even producing videos depicting Trump’s assassination.
Statements from U.S. Officials
Following the unsealing of these latest charges, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray condemned the Iranian regime’s attempts to conduct violent operations on American soil. “We will not stand for the Iranian regime’s attempts to endanger the American people and America’s national security,” Garland said in a statement. Wray added that the IRGC’s use of criminals and hitmen to target U.S. citizens “simply won’t be tolerated.”
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Damian Williams emphasized the gravity of the situation, noting, “Actors directed by the Government of Iran continue to target our citizens, including President-elect Trump, on U.S. soil and abroad. This has to stop.”
Ongoing Investigations and Legal Proceedings
The investigations into these assassination plots have revealed a worrying trend of Iran leveraging both domestic and international networks to carry out attacks. Shakeri, who reportedly immigrated to the U.S. as a child but was deported in 2008 following a robbery conviction, allegedly maintained connections with criminal elements within the U.S., which he later repurposed for Iran’s bidding.
Despite cooperating with FBI agents during multiple phone interviews — purportedly to secure a reduced sentence for another individual imprisoned in the U.S. — Shakeri remains at large, presumably in Iran. Rivera and Loadholt, meanwhile, appeared in federal court and were ordered detained pending further legal proceedings.
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