Iranian Man Charged in Plot to Kill Trump and Journalist

In a surprising turn of events, an Iranian man named Farhad Shakeri has been charged in a murder-for-hire scheme aimed at killing former President Donald Trump and a prominent American journalist critical of Tehran. The plot was allegedly backed by Iran's government, seeking revenge for the death of their military leader, Qasem Soleimani. Shakeri was directed to surveil and assassinate Trump, with the Iranian official warning that failure to do so would pause the plan until after the U.S. presidential elections. Two other individuals, Carlisle Rivera and Jonathan Loadholt, were also charged for their roles in the plot to kill the journalist. Shakeri, an IRGC asset, had previously been deported from the U. S. after serving time in prison. The case highlights the persistent threat posed by Iran and the lengths to which they are willing to go to silence critics.