The U.S. Department of Justice has filed charges against Farhad Shakeri, a 51-year-old Afghan national, in connection with an alleged Iranian plot to assassinate Donald Trump. The indictment, unsealed on Friday, accuses Shakeri of working with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard to devise a plan to kill Trump. This move comes as part of broader U.S. efforts to counter perceived Iranian threats against American citizens and political figures.
According to the charges, Shakeri was instructed to create an assassination plan targeting Trump in September. However, Shakeri reportedly told law enforcement that he delayed the proposal, leading Iranian officials to put the plot on hold until after the 2024 presidential election, when they believed Trump might no longer be a viable target. Attorney General Merrick Garland commented on the case, highlighting the U.S. government’s commitment to protecting its leaders and holding foreign agents accountable for any threats against American citizens.
Plot Targeted Trump and Other High-Profile Individuals in the U.S.
In addition to the alleged plot against Trump, the indictment implicates Shakeri and two other individuals in schemes targeting an American journalist and other Jewish American business figures. Prosecutors named the two accomplices as Carlisle Rivera, 49, from Brooklyn, and Jonathon Loadholt, 36, from Staten Island. These individuals allegedly accepted Shakeri’s direction to conduct surveillance and plan attacks on outspoken critics of the Iranian regime and those known for pro-Israel stances on social media.
The three men are charged with conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, carrying a maximum penalty of 10 years, as well as conspiracy to launder money, a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison. U.S. prosecutors have stated that these assassination plots represent an alarming escalation in Iran’s tactics to silence dissent and influence U.S. domestic affairs through acts of violence.
Alleged Plot Against Journalist Masih Alinejad Foiled
The case also brought to light a foiled assassination attempt against Masih Alinejad, a prominent Brooklyn-based journalist and vocal critic of Iran. In a social media post, Alinejad claimed that FBI officials had warned her about an active threat on her life and detained two men linked to the assassination attempt. She expressed her determination to continue speaking out against the Iranian government, despite ongoing threats to her safety. “I came to America to practice my First Amendment right to freedom of speech—I don’t want to die,” Alinejad stated.
This is not the first time that Alinejad, known for her criticism of the Iranian regime’s human rights record, has been targeted. Prosecutors allege that Shakeri, with support from his Iranian contacts, was actively involved in orchestrating the plot against her, highlighting the Iranian government’s use of proxies and hired agents to silence journalists abroad.
Expanding Allegations Include Planned Mass Shooting Against Israeli Tourists
Prosecutors allege that the Iranian government extended Shakeri’s assassination mission beyond U.S. soil, directing him to organize a mass shooting targeting Israeli tourists in Sri Lanka. The plot was purportedly planned for October 2024, a year after recent violent escalations in Israel. These details suggest a pattern of international operations conducted by Iranian forces to target both American and Israeli interests abroad.
Shakeri, reportedly still at large in Iran, faces serious charges in absentia, with prosecutors stressing the heightened vigilance needed to combat foreign plots aimed at destabilizing U.S. and allied interests. The Justice Department’s latest moves indicate an increased willingness to pursue international cases that threaten U.S. security, and this high-profile indictment underscores the risks posed by foreign adversaries targeting U.S. officials and citizens.
