- By Shivangi Sharma
- Sat, 24 Aug 2024 07:08 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
As US intelligence agencies continue to track a potential Iranian assassination plot against former President Donald Trump, recent media reports indicate that the Iranian regime is aiming to assassinate Trump by November 5, the day of the US presidential election, according to an ex-Trump aide.
The Iranian threat originates from Tehran’s longstanding desire for revenge against Trump for the January 2020 strike that killed Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani, the Iranian security and intelligence commander responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American troops in Iraq over the years.
According to Dr Walid Phares, Ex-Trump Aide and Mideast expert, Iran may try to "eliminate" Trump by November 5, the US presidential election day. US allies in the Middle East have assessed that the Iranian regime is determined to eliminate Trump.
Iran’s Islamic regime fears that Trump’s return to the White House would jeopardise Tehran’s status as a regional Middle East powerhouse, according to Phares.
Iran has previously vowed to avenge the killing of IRGC head Qassem Soleimani, whose assassination in Baghdad was ordered by Trump. Iran’s supreme leader has publicly declared that Trump is a target, promising "revenge on the orderer and killer of Qassem Soleimani.
Trump’s Return To White House Might Threaten Tehran's Power
The Islamic regime believes that Trump’s return to the White House would threaten Tehran’s status as a regional power in the Middle East. Trump has repeatedly pledged that if re-elected, he will halt Iran’s nuclear weapons program and impose severe sanctions.
Trump blames the Biden administration for the resurgence of Iran's nuclear program and its actions across the region since October 7.
"Iran was broke. Iran had no money," Trump said during the RNC 2024. "Now Iran has USD 250 billion. They made it all over the last 2 1/2 years. They were broke." When Trump refers to "Iran", he means the Islamic regime that took power in 1979 after overthrowing the Shah. He has repeatedly vowed to use sanctions to cripple the regime.
Currently, killing Trump remains Tehran's safest option and highest priority, alongside advancing its nuclear program, Phares claimed.
While Iran has targeted Americans in the past, attempting to assassinate a former president who is now campaigning for re-election would represent a dramatic escalation that could risk war.
