Iranian charged in alleged plot to assassinate John Bolton

The U.S. declared criminal charges against a member of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for allegedly plotting to murder John Bolton, reports CNN.

According to a statement made Wednesday by the U.S. Justice Department, the alleged plot was "likely in retaliation" for the death of Qasem Soleimani, a commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Soleimani was killed in January 2020 by a U.S. air strike.

Allegedly, 45-year-old Shahram Poursafi, an Iranian national and IRGC member, agreed to pay individuals in the United States $300,000 to assassinate the former national security advisor during the Trump administration. "[He] allegedly told the source that it didn't matter how the murder was carried out, but that his 'group' would require video confirmation of Bolton's death," says Axios.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Poursafi is charged with use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire, and with attempting to provide material support to a transnational murder plot.

"While much cannot be said publicly right now, one point is indisputable: Iran's rulers are liars, terrorists, and enemies of the United States," Bolton said in a statement to CBS News. "Their radical, anti-American objectives are unchanged; their commitments are worthless; and their global threat is growing."