Iranian president denies assassination plots against Trump, blasts 'Iranophobia'

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday denied that his country had plotted to assassination President-elect Donald Trump and blamed Israel for promoting "Iranophobia."

“We have never attempted this to begin with and we never will," he told NBC News's Lester Holt.

“This is another one of those schemes that Israel and other countries are designing to promote Iranophobia," he also said. Iran has never attempted to nor does it plan to assassinate anyone. At least as far as I know.” 

Pezeshkian assumed office in July of last year. During the 2024 election cycle, authorities arrested and later charged Farhad Shakeri for allegedly working with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to plot Trump's assassination.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken in 2022 announced that Iran had attempted to assassinate numerous high-ranking American officials, including former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Shortly after the July 14, 2024, assassination attempt on Trump in Butler, Pa., revelations came to light that the Secret Service previously increased his security amid concerns over Iranian plots on his life. The Butler incident appears unrelated to Tehran's activities.