In an escalating diplomatic clash, Iran’s Foreign Ministry on November 9 labeled as “totally unfounded” the US accusation that Tehran was involved in an assassination attempt on Donald Trump. The claim, which stems from a newly unveiled US Justice Department complaint, alleges that Iranian operatives plotted to kill Trump in a murder-for-hire scheme. This accusation has added fresh fuel to the already simmering tensions between the US and Iran, further entangling a complex web of geopolitical disputes and longstanding grievances.

The Justice Department’s complaint, unsealed on November 8, implicates an Iranian individual named Farhad Shakeri in a scheme allegedly orchestrated by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. Shakeri, who US authorities claim is an Iranian government asset with prior criminal convictions, allegedly detailed to investigators his instructions to plan the assassination. According to the Justice Department, Shakeri had connections within Iran’s powerful paramilitary wing, the Revolutionary Guard, and purportedly received direct orders to surveil Trump and devise a plan for his assassination.

In response, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei categorically denied any involvement in the alleged plot. Baghaei stated that Iran “rejects allegations that Iran is implicated in an assassination attempt targeting former or current American officials,” describing the claims as another baseless attack aimed at painting Iran as a global threat. The Iranian UN Mission also refrained from commenting, aligning with the government’s general posture of silence on accusations from Washington.

US investigators claim that Shakeri, who has spent time in American prisons for robbery, maintained ties with criminal networks that Tehran supposedly recruited for surveillance and assassination purposes. He is alleged to have received orders from a Revolutionary Guard official in September to “set........

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