The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Friday that charges have been filed against Farhad Shakeri, an Iranian national accused of plotting to assassinate President-elect Donald Trump, allegedly on the orders of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). According to DOJ statements, Shakeri, a 51-year-old Revolutionary Guard asset, admitted to U.S. authorities that he was tasked with formulating a plan to kill Trump by October 7, 2024. However, Shakeri reportedly claimed he had no intention of executing the plan within the timeline given.
The DOJ further revealed that Shakeri, who currently resides in Tehran, previously lived in the U.S. after immigrating as a child. He was deported around 2008 following a robbery conviction. Officials report that Shakeri is now at large and believed to be in Iran.
Adding to the case, two New York residents, Carlisle Rivera and Jonathan Loadholt, were also charged as co-conspirators, allegedly helping Shakeri plot to murder a U.S.-based Iranian activist known for outspoken criticism of Iran’s government. Although the DOJ did not identify the activist, the details align with prior threats against Masih Alinejad, a prominent journalist and human rights advocate known for opposing Iran’s headscarf mandates. Alinejad was previously targeted in a foiled kidnapping plot in 2021, and, in 2022, a man with a rifle was found outside her home.
Both Rivera and Loadholt remain in custody awaiting trial, with attorneys declining immediate comment on the case. Iran’s Foreign Ministry responded, dismissing the accusations as an “inflammatory” tactic by external opposition groups aimed at complicating diplomatic relations between Iran and the United States.
