Assassination PLOT Uncovered – Target Identified!
(UnitedVoice.com) – In 1979, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini violently seized control of Iran’s democratically-elected government. Since then, the country has been a staple of international terrorism. Officials in Washington say the regime has killed or permanently wounded hundreds of people in targeted assassinations in over 40 countries. In January 2020, former President Donald Trump ordered the military to carry out a strike against Iranian terror leader Gen. Qasem Soleimani. Afterward, the Iranians promised revenge.
On Wednesday, August 10, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the arrest of an Iranian operative who plotted to assassinate a previous high-level official in the Trump administration. John Bolton was a one-time UN ambassador and served as the presidential national security advisor from 2018 to 2019. He is also an outspoken critic of the mullahs and has repeatedly called for regime change in the terrorist state.
Justice Department Affirms It Will Defend All Americans
In a statement released by the DOJ, officials said 45-year-old Shahram Poursafi, also known as Mehdi Rezayi, is a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Prosecutors have charged him with scheming to kill Bolton in a murder-for-hire plot and attempting to offer material support to the murder plot.
The Justice Department stated Poursafi began planning the scheme in October 2021. Officials believe the assassination attempt was in retaliation for the US’s execution of Soleimani. The release noted that the suspect offered to pay several people in the US $300,000 to take out the former Trump official in Maryland or Washington, DC.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen emphasized the government has a duty to defend Americans from hostile governments intent on hurting or killing them. He noted it wasn’t the first time Iran has attempted revenge on past leaders within the United States. FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven M. D’Antuono said the terrorist state’s assassination attempt was unacceptable, and law enforcement would not tolerate it.
Former Ambassador Responds in Kind
After the news broke, Bolton provided a statement on Twitter. He thanked the Secret Service for its protection. The past diplomat called Iranian rulers “liars, terrorists, and enemies of the United States.”
I wish to thank the Justice Dept for initiating the criminal proceeding unsealed today; the FBI for its diligence in discovering and tracking the Iranian regime’s criminal threat to American citizens; and the Secret Service for providing protection against Tehran’s efforts. pic.twitter.com/QDjkX6gUWM
— John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) August 10, 2022
He then appeared on CNN with host Wolf Blitzer, who asked him what went through his mind after he learned the details of the assassination plot. Bolton responded that he was embarrassed that Iran only offered $300,000 for his life. The past government official said he thought the mullahs would have paid more money and jokingly declared there must be an exchange rate problem or another reason for offering such a low amount.
Though he had not seen the specifics of the DOJ report until it was released, Bolton noted he had a “general understanding” of the ongoing threats against him from the terrorist state.
It wasn’t the first threat against the former national security advisor, and it likely won’t be the last.
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