Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian denied allegations that Iran plotted to assassinate Republican US President-elect Donald Trump, labelling such claims as baseless.
In an exclusive interview with NBC News, Pezeshkian said, “None whatsoever,” when asked if Iran had ever planned to kill Trump. “We have never attempted this to begin with, and we never will,” he added.
The denial comes after the US Justice Department in November charged an Iranian man in connection with an alleged plot by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps to assassinate Trump. US law enforcement thwarted the alleged plan before it could be executed. The Justice Department also accused two others of targeting an Iranian American journalist critical of Tehran.
According to US authorities, these actions were allegedly part of Iran’s efforts to avenge the death of General Qasem Soleimani, killed in a US drone strike ordered by Trump in 2020. Tehran, however, has consistently denied involvement in such activities. Pezeshkian described the assassination plot allegations as “schemes that Israel and other countries are designing to promote Iranophobia.”
The Iranian president also highlighted his government’s willingness for dialogue but expressed scepticism about the US’s ability to honour its commitments. Referring to previous negotiations, he said, “The problem we have is not in dialogue. It’s in the commitments that arise from talk and dialogue.”
Pezeshkian’s statements mark his first foreign media interview since Trump’s election victory. He reiterated that Iran has never sought to harm Trump and noted that his government had sent a written assurance to the US via Swiss diplomats in October, according to NBC News.
Tensions between the two nations have remained high, particularly during Trump’s first term, when he withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions on Iran. Efforts by the Biden administration to revive the accord through indirect talks failed to yield results, further straining relations.
Iran has also denied broader US claims of interference, including allegations of targeting dissidents abroad. In 2023, the UK summoned Iran’s top diplomat in London after accusations that Tehran intimidated Iranian journalists in Britain, an allegation Iran dismissed.
As the second Trump administration begins, Pezeshkian said Iran remains open to dialogue but stressed the need for mutual trust and adherence to commitments.