(Image source from: EPA)
In a message to Joe Biden's government, Iran denied its intention to kill US President Donald Trump. The New York Times reported that the development came after the Biden administration warned Iran in September that any attempt to take Trump's life would be considered an "act of war." The message was sent through an intermediary in October and was intended to ease tensions between Washington and Tehran. This followed a strong warning from the United States, which expressed serious concerns about possible retaliation by Iran for the 2020 assassination of Major General Qassem Soleimani ordered by then-President Donald Trump. Since Donald Trump's election victory on November 5, various Iranian officials, analysts and media outlets have expressed concern about the president-elect's relationship with the new president, despite continued pressure from allies to renew a tough stance against Iran Iran's conspiracies against the president-elect may have sought revenge for Soleimani's murder by targeting Trump. Additional allegations have been made against other members of the Trump administration.
U.S. officials said Iran's embassy was focused on Tehran's position that Soleimani's killing was a criminal offense. However, the statement also made it clear that Iran had no intention of killing President Trump. This news was confirmed by Iranian officials and analysts from both sides. They said Iran has expressed its willingness to seek justice for Soleimani's death through international legal channels rather than violent means. American officials indicated that this message did not come from a specific Iranian official, but Iranian officials and analysts have clearly said that this message actually came from Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. Iran's mission to the United Nations declined to comment, but in a statement stressed Tehran's determination to investigate Soleimani's murder "through legal and judicial means."
During the presidential campaign, U.S. officials warned of a possible Iranian plot to assassinate Donald Trump. Federal prosecutors in Manhattan recently admitted that negotiations between Iranian conspirators included a plan to target the former president. But the Iranian Foreign Ministry described these claims as unfounded. Elon Musk, a close Trump ally, met with Iran's ambassador to the United Nations on Monday at Musk's request. Iran said the meeting with U.S. Ambassador Amir Saeed Irbani at a secret location in New York City was part of efforts to ease tensions between the U.S. and Iran under President Donald Trump's administration.
The United States and Iran have not had formal diplomatic relations since the 1979 revolution, when 52 Americans were taken hostage at the American embassy in Tehran. The Swiss embassy in Tehran acts as the official diplomatic contact point between the two countries and has held direct and indirect talks in recent years on various topics, including Iran's nuclear program and prisoner exchange. An Iranian official and analyst said messages between the U.S. and Iran were being sent through Switzerland.
