Iran rejected the United States’ (US) allegations that Tehran tasked an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) official with assassinating former National Security Advisor (NSA) John Bolton.
On Thursday, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said the latest US accusations were a “new fiction” and their claims could not be backed by valid evidence. Kanaani added that it was part of Washington’s “endless accusations” against Iran and a “continuation of their failed Iranophobic policy.”
“Such baseless claims are made with political goals and motives [and is aimed at] evading the responsibility for numerous terrorist crimes” committed by the US, including the assassination of IRGC Quds Force chief Gen. Qassem Soleimani. Furthermore, he accused the US of spreading instability in the region by backing “the terrorist crimes of the Zionist regime [Israel] and terrorist groups such as Daesh [ISIS].”
"Obviously the US has not done enough to deter the Iranian regime. It's not enough to avoid having Americans being killed as long as Iran gov't is threatening them. That should be unacceptable," former National Security Advisor @AmbJohnBolton told @IranIntl_En's @FardadFarahzad. pic.twitter.com/uSGtKzKFLj
— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) August 10, 2022
He also blamed Washington for “fabricating threadbare and baseless myths […] in connection with politically bankrupt and worthless elements like [John] Bolton.” He added: “Iran strongly warns against any action against Iranian citizens under the pretext of such ridiculous accusations.”
Kanaani’s statement came a day after the US Justice Department charged IRGC member Shahram Poursafi, who is believed to be in Iran, for attempting to “pay individuals in the US $300,000 to carry out the murder in Washington DC or Maryland.” The Department added that Iran planned to assassinate Bolton in retaliation for the 2020 US drone strike that killed Soleimani.
“Iran has a history of plotting to assassinate individuals in the US it deems a threat, but the US Government has a longer history of holding accountable those who threaten the safety of our citizens,” an FBI official said, adding, “An attempted assassination of a former US Government official on U.S. soil is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”
A US drone attack in 2020 killed Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. Both Soleimani and Muhandis have been accused of orchestrating attacks on US personnel in the region. Bolton was the NSA during this time and Iran has vowed revenge against the former NSA and top US officials, including ex-President Donald Trump.
When Biden administration didn’t take strong action against my kidnapping plot last year, there’s no need for Iranian regime to stop their act of terrorism on US soil.
— Masih Alinejad 🏳️ (@AlinejadMasih) August 11, 2022
I’m not scared of being killed but I don’t want to die. @SkyNews @RitaPanahi #LetUsTalkpic.twitter.com/CEy202Cw99
In a statement, Bolton thanked the FBI and the Justice Department for their work. “While much cannot be said publicly right now, one point is indisputable: Iran’s rulers are liars, terrorists, and enemies of the United States,” he added.
“What we see now is that this regime has no intention whatsoever to comply with any commitments that it makes. It’s untrustworthy, it’s clearly an enemy of the US. That’s what these threats of assassination show,” he told Iran International. He also claimed that “the US has not done enough to deter the Iranian regime.”
The Justice Department’s claims come as the FBI arrested a man for attempting to kill Iranian human rights activist Masih Alinejad at her house in New York earlier this month. The FBI accused Iran of hiring the man to kill Alinejad, a prominent critic of the Iranian government.