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The US authorities received intelligence in recent weeks about a plot by Iran to try to assassinate former President and Republican pick Donald Trump, CNN reported. The development has led to the Secret Service increasing security around Trump, the report added.
However, there was no indication that 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, who attempted to assassinate Trump during a Pennsylvania rally on July 13, was connected to the Iranian plot, CNN reported.
Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire at the former President before being killed by the Secret Service on July 13. Trump was injured, with pictures showing his face streaked with blood, and one audience member was killed. In a video, soon after the attack, Trump was seen pumping his fist in the air, mouthing the words "Fight! Fight! Fight!"
Iran, however, denied the accusations against it and termed them "unsubstantiated and malicious".
"From the perspective of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Trump is a criminal who must be prosecuted and punished in a court of law for ordering the assassination of General Soleimani. Iran has chosen the legal path to bring him to justice," a spokesperson of the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations told CNN.
The intelligence about the Iranian plot was passed on by a human source, CNN reported. A US national security official said the Secret Service and Trump campaign were made aware of a threat before the Pennsylvania rally. In response, the Secret Service increased resources and assets for the protection of the former President, and all of these were done "in advance of Saturday", the official added. The Trump campaign, however, refused to disclose if it was made aware of the Iran threat.
US officials have for years worried that Iran would retaliate against Donald Trump for his ordering of the January 2020 killing of Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani.
Furthermore, Secret Service officials have warned the Trump campaign repeatedly against holding outdoor campaign rallies, CNN reported.
Meanwhile, the intelligence threat from and the enhanced security for Donald Trump have raised questions about the security lapses at the Pennsylvania rally. The Secret Service has been criticised, especially for how a 20-year-old managed to access a nearby rooftop to open fire at the former President.
US President Joe Biden, who said there was no place for violence in America, has ordered an independent review of how the gunman could come so close to assassinating Trump. The Secret Service also faces investigation from Congress.
