Iranian agent accused of ‘conspiring to kill Donald Trump’s former adviser John Bolton’, US says | US News

The United States says an Iranian special agent has been charged with an alleged plot to kill John Bolton, who was a national security adviser to former President Donald Trump.

Shahram Poursafi, whose American officials are a member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, is wanted by the FBI on charges of involvement in a plot to kill hires.

According to the US Department of Justice, the alleged plan may be to retaliate for January 2020 US drone attack killed the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force, Major General Qassem Soleimani – Named the most powerful person in the Middle East country.

They said Iranian national Poursafi, also known as Mehdi Rezayi, “tried to pay individuals in the United States $300,000 (£245,000) to commit murders in Washington DC or Maryland”.

Poursafi, who remains abroad, has never denied his involvement with the Quds Force, US officials said.

If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 (£204,000) for using interstate commerce to commit the murder. the lease.

He will also face 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for providing and attempting to provide material support to a transnational murder plot.

Iran’s mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and Iran does not have an extradition treaty with the United States.

In a statement, Mr Boltonwho held his post from 2018 to 2019, thanks to the FBI and Department of Justice.

“Although much cannot be said publicly at the moment, there is one indisputable point: Iran’s rulers are liars, terrorists, and enemies of the United States,” he said. .

According to the Ministry of Justice:

:: On November 14, 2021, Poursafi, 45, contacted a classified human source, or CHS, and then offered them $250,000 to hire someone to “remove” the former security adviser. national security.

This amount will then be negotiated up to $300,000. Poursafi added that he has an additional “job”, for which he will pay $1 million.

:: On November 19, 2021, Poursafi told CHS that it didn’t matter how Bolton’s murder was carried out, but his “team” would ask for video confirmation of the target’s death.

CHS asked Poursafi what would happen if the killing was attributed to Iran. Poursafi tells CHS not to worry and Poursafi’s “team” will take care of it.

:: On February 1, 2022, Poursafi told TYT that if he/she doesn’t remove the target within two weeks, the job will be taken from the CHS.

He also informed the TYT that someone had checked the area around the former national security adviser’s home and that he believed no security was present, so the TYT could “get the job done”.

:: On March 10, 2022, Poursafi told CHS that he had another assassination job for CHS in the United States, but to “keep [the former national security adviser] in your mind”.

About a month later, Poursafi encouraged CHS to accept the offer, explaining that if it was successfully implemented, Poursafi would be able to integrate with his “group” and take back his mission to kill the former security adviser. national security.

:: On April 28, 2022, the CHS told Poursafi that he/she will not continue working without pay. Poursafi agreed to deposit CHS $100 in crypto into a virtual wallet that CHS had created earlier that day, to prove payments could be made.

Later that day, the crypto wallet received two payments totaling $100.

Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen, the Justice Department’s top national security official, said it was “not the first time we’ve uncovered precise Iranian revenge plots against individuals.” on American soil and we will work tirelessly to expose and disrupt all these efforts.”

And executive assistant director Larissa L Knapp, of the FBI’s national security branch, said: “Iran has a history of conspiring to assassinate individuals in the US that it considers a threat, but the US government does. has a longer history of attributing responsibility to those who threaten the safety of our citizens.

“There is no doubt: the FBI, the US government and our partners remain vigilant in the fight against such threats in the United States and abroad.”