Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says his country “never” plotted to assassinate President-elect Trump and affirmed that “we never will.”
During an interview in Tehran with NBC News’ Lester Holt, Pezeshkian addressed the allegation made by U.S. intelligence authorities regarding Iran’s alleged plan to assassinate Trump before Election Day. He dismissed the claim as part of a larger strategy by countries like Israel to fuel fear and suspicion towards Iran.
“Iran has no intention and has never made any attempts to assassinate anyone,” Pezeshkian stated. “I am not aware of any such plans ever being considered by Iran.”
“You’re saying there was never an Iranian plot to kill Donald Trump?” Holt asked.
Trump’s decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, and impose severe economic sanctions during his first term in 2018 received mixed reactions. While some, such as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, supported the move, leaders from the United Kingdom, France, and Germany had encouraged Trump to uphold the agreement.
Retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg speaks during a press conference at the White House in 2020. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Kellog’s remarks, made just days before Trump is set to take office for his second term, are yet another signal of how a second Trump administration will face the threat posed by Iran in a new environment with much of the Middle East embroiled in conflict since the Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel.
