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The Iranian government has pushed back on various US reports, rejecting accusations of an alleged plot to assassinate former President Donald Trump.

On Wednesday, Iran dismissed what it labeled as “malicious” claims by US media that it was involved in a plan to kill Trump. Nasser Kanani, a spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry, said, “Iran strongly rejects any involvement in the recent armed attack against Trump.” However, Kanani added that Iran remains “determined to prosecute Trump over his direct role in the assassination of General Qasem Soleimani.”

Initially, CNN reported that various intelligence agencies obtained information from a “human source” that implicated a potential Iranian assassination plot against Trump. This occurred before the attempted assassination of Trump on Saturday. The intelligence was deemed credible enough for the United States Secret Service to increase the protection detail surrounding the former President. In addition, the Trump campaign was reportedly informed about the threat.

According to US officials, the plot had no connection to the recent assassination attempt at a Trump campaign rally in Pennsylvania, where Trump was injured and a supporter was killed.

Digging Deeper:
Iran’s motivation to target former President Donald Trump is primarily driven by the assassination of General Qasem Soleimani in January 2020. Soleimani, a key figure in Iran’s military strategy and operations as the commander of the Quds Force, was killed in a US drone strike ordered by Trump. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other Iranian officials vowed revenge following the strike.