On Wednesday, an Iranian national and member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was charged by federal law enforcement officials for allegedly attempting to assassinate former Trump National Security Adviser John Bolton.
Beginning in October 2021, 45-year-old Shahram Poursafi, aka Mehdi Rezayi, of Tehran, Iran, allegedly attempted to arrange the assassination of Bolton in retaliation for the Trump administration’s January 2020 killing of terrorist Qasem Soleimani who was the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps – Qods Force (IRGC-QF).
The Department of Justice said that Poursafi attempted to pay individuals in the United States $300,000 to assassinate Bolton in Washington, D.C. or Maryland. Poursafi also allegedly attempted to pay $1 million for a second target.
“Today the Department of Justice unsealed charges against an individual affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The charging document outlines allegations regarding Iran’s continued attempts to carry out an assassination against former National Security Advisor John Bolton on American soil,” National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in response to the report. “We have said this before and we will say it again: the Biden Administration will not waiver in protecting and defending all Americans against threats of violence and terrorism. Should Iran attack any of our citizens, to include those who continue to serve the United States or those who formerly served, Iran will face severe consequences. We will continue to bring to bear the full resources of the U.S. Government to protect Americans.”
“We commend the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their diligence and professionalism in this matter,” Sullivan added.
