Follow-up – Al Rashid
Iran’s mission to the United Nations said Tuesday evening that accusing Tehran of a plot against former US President Donald Trump is a malicious idea that is devoid of truth.
The Iranian diplomatic mission said that Trump is a “criminal” who should be prosecuted and punished in court for ordering the assassination of the former commander of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Qassem Soleimani, which took place on January 3, according to what was reported by the American CNN network.
In this context, she stressed that Iran is choosing the legal path to bring the former president to justice.
Earlier, CNN reported that the Secret Service had increased security measures after receiving intelligence about an Iranian plot to assassinate former US President Donald Trump.
She noted that there was no indication that Thomas Matthew Crooks, who attempted to assassinate the former president on Saturday, was linked to a conspiracy.
The network said, citing several people familiar with the matter, that “US authorities obtained intelligence from a human source in recent weeks about a plot hatched by Iran to attempt to assassinate Donald Trump, a development that led the Secret Service to increase security around the former president in recent weeks.”
The network adds that the existence of an intelligence threat from a foreign intelligence agency and the increased security for Trump raises new questions about security lapses at the rally held on Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania, and how a 20-year-old man was able to reach a nearby rooftop to fire the shots that wounded the former president.
A US national security official said the Secret Service and the Trump campaign were aware of the threat before Saturday’s demonstration.
The Trump campaign did not disclose whether it was aware of the alleged Iranian threat, saying in a statement: “We do not comment on the details of President Trump’s security. All questions should be directed to the United States Secret Service.”
Secret Service officials repeatedly warned the Trump campaign against holding outdoor rallies, people familiar with the matter said, noting that the warnings were more general in nature.
It is noteworthy that Donald Trump was subjected to an assassination attempt while speaking to supporters as part of his election campaign in Pennsylvania, last Saturday.
The accident resulted in the death of one person and the injury of others, in addition to a minor injury to Trump, who was transferred to the hospital as a result.
The US Secret Service said it killed the shooter, while the FBI identified the Trump shooter as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks.
