The Iranian scene during Donald Trump's presidency experienced a significant jolt with the assassination of Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force in the Revolutionary Guard. Iranian statements have continuously stressed the need for a "response befitting the event," but over the past years, Iran's reaction has only been described as "timid," specifically referring to its response at Ain al-Asad base.
Trump is seen as a fierce adversary of Tehran; under his administration, the U.S. withdrew from the nuclear deal and Soleimani, a key figure of power in Iran, was killed. CNN reported the possibility that the attempted assassination of Trump could be part of what its sources described as the "Iranian conspiracy."
Did Trump's campaign receive information about a potential threat? According to sources cited by the network, the Secret Service informed Trump's campaign of a threat, but there is no indication that Thomas Matthew Crooks, who attempted to kill the president on Saturday, was linked to that conspiracy. The Trump campaign did not disclose whether it was aware of the Iranian threat, stating in a release: "We do not comment on specifics regarding the security of President Trump. All inquiries should be directed to the Secret Service."
Sources familiar with the matter indicated that Secret Service officials repeatedly warned Trump's campaign against holding outdoor gatherings, but sources speaking to CNN noted that the warnings were "more general" in nature.
For her part, National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson stated that there is no known connection between shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks and anyone else at this time. She added: "We consider this a matter of national and internal security of utmost importance."
Iran's Denial
Iran’s permanent mission to the United Nations denied any Iranian conspiracy to assassinate Trump. The mission stated that Trump is a criminal who should be tried and punished before a legal court for ordering the killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.
In an interview with CNN, Iran's Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri stated: "I told you clearly that we will resort to legal and judicial procedures at local and international levels to bring to justice those responsible for and advisor involved in the assassination of General Soleimani."
When asked whether this means avoiding violent measures, Bagheri responded: "We will only resort to Iranian and international legal and judicial procedures." He further stated: "The Americans publicly assassinated the great Iranian military leader. So it is our natural right to pursue this matter, and those accused in this case should face justice in a fair court."
Trump survived the assassination attempt on Saturday after a person fired a shot that grazed the former president’s ear while he was speaking at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
