Iranian Operative Behind Trump Assassination Plot Killed In U.S. Strike

A senior Iranian operative tied to a plot to assassinate Donald Trump has been eliminated during the ongoing U.S.–Israel military campaign targeting Iran’s military infrastructure.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed during a Pentagon briefing that Operation Epic Fury ultimately took out an Iranian regime figure connected to a previously exposed assassination attempt against Trump during the 2024 presidential race.

The operation was originally designed to cripple Iran’s missile and launch capabilities. But as intelligence targets expanded, the U.S. military seized the opportunity to strike individuals responsible for threats against American leaders and citizens.

“We’ve known for a long time that Iran had intentions to kill President Trump,” Hegseth said during the briefing.

While he noted that the assassination plot was not the original focus of the operation, officials made clear that those responsible were eventually added to the target list.

“It wasn’t the beginning of the effort we were focused on missiles and launchers,” Hegseth explained. “Ultimately, if we had the opportunity to get at those who were trying to get at America, we would. We eventually had the opportunity to do that from the air.”

The individual believed to have been killed is Rahman Mokadam, the reported head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Special Operations Division.

Mokadam’s unit has long been associated with covert international operations, including unconventional warfare, intelligence activities, and alleged murder-for-hire plots targeting dissidents and political figures abroad.

U.S. officials say Mokadam was a key architect behind a plan to assassinate Trump ahead of the 2024 election.

The plot first became public in November 2024, when federal prosecutors unsealed criminal charges against Farhad Shakeri, an alleged Iranian intelligence asset.

According to investigators, Shakeri an Afghan national who had previously been deported from the United States was instructed by members of the IRGC to surveil Trump and develop a plan to carry out the assassination.

Court documents revealed alarming details about the scope of the plot.

• Iranian officials reportedly told Shakeri that “money’s not an issue” when discussing funding for the operation

• The initial plan called for a proposal within seven days

• When the timeline proved unrealistic, Iranian handlers allegedly advised delaying the plan until after the election

Prosecutors believe Iranian officials expected Trump to lose the 2024 election and become more vulnerable once he was no longer under the full protection provided to a presidential candidate.

Federal investigators later confirmed that the plan extended beyond Trump.

Shakeri and two associates Carlisle Rivera and Jonathon Loadholt were also charged with targeting Iranian-American journalist Masih Alinejad, a prominent critic of the Iranian regime living in New York.

Alinejad reacted publicly when the charges were announced.

“The person assigned to assassinate Donald Trump was also assigned to kill me on U.S. soil,” she wrote on social media. “I came to America to practice my freedom of speech — I don’t want to die.”

The assassination plot highlighted Iran’s increasingly aggressive strategy of targeting critics and political opponents beyond its borders. U.S. intelligence agencies have warned for years that the IRGC operates global networks capable of conducting surveillance, intimidation, and violent attacks.

The elimination of Mokadam now represents one of the most direct responses yet to those threats.

Operation Epic Fury, launched jointly by the United States and Israel, has already targeted Iranian missile launchers, naval assets, and military infrastructure across the region. Defense analysts say the broader campaign aims to dismantle the regime’s ability to threaten American interests, Israel, and international shipping lanes.

For U.S. officials, removing individuals responsible for assassination plots against American leaders sends a clear message.

Those who target the United States will be held accountable.

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