War Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that the leader of an Iranian military unit allegedly involved in plotting to assassinate President Donald Trump has been killed.
Speaking during a press conference, Hegseth noted that the killing delivered a form of retribution against those who targeted the president.
“Iran tried to kill President Trump,” Hegseth said.
“President Trump got the last laugh.”
WATCH:
Israeli Journalist Identifies Target
According to Israeli journalist Amit Segal, the individual killed was Rahman Mokadam, who he described as the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ special operations division.
Segal reported that Israel carried out the strike and later informed the Trump administration.
**Breaking news:** Israel has eliminated Rahman Mokadam, head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ special operations division, and the man behind the assassination attempt on Trump on the eve of the 2024 presidential election.
Trump was informed of this in the past few…
— Amit Segal (@AmitSegal) March 4, 2026
Two Assassination Attempts Targeted Trump in 2024
President Trump was the target of two assassination attempts in 2024.
The first occurred on July 13, 2024, during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Authorities say Thomas Crooks, 20, fired shots from a rooftop, striking Trump in the ear.
The second incident occurred roughly two months later at Trump’s golf course in Palm Beach, Florida.
In that case, Ryan Routh of North Carolina was discovered by Secret Service agents hiding in bushes near the course while carrying an SKS-style rifle.
Investigators have not linked either incident to Iran, however.
FBI Case Involving Pakistani National
One case connected to alleged Iranian plots involved Asif Merchant, a Pakistani national arrested by the FBI on July 12, 2024, one day before the Butler rally shooting.
Merchant was charged with murder-for-hire in what prosecutors described as a plan targeting U.S. officials, possibly including Trump.
However, the available evidence indicates the case unfolded during an FBI sting operation.
Authorities had been monitoring Merchant before he entered the United States in April 2024, and allowed him to enter the country so investigators could track his movements.
During the operation, an FBI informant transported Merchant and introduced him to two undercover agents posing as hired killers.
According to prosecutors, Merchant paid the agents $5,000 as a down payment for a broader plot that allegedly included staging protests and stealing documents.
He was arrested while attempting to leave the United States.
Merchant’s trial is ongoing and is expected to continue through mid-March.
Separate Case Involving Iranian Suspect
A separate criminal complaint filed in November 2024 accused three men of involvement in a plot connected to Iran.
The defendants were identified as Farhad Shakeri, 51, of Iran; Carlisle Rivera, also known as Pop, 49, of Brooklyn; and Jonathon Loadholt, 36, of Staten Island.
According to the complaint, the men were accused of conspiring to kill a U.S.-based journalist of Iranian origin.
The charges did not include a plot to assassinate Trump.
Investigators said Shakeri participated in a series of phone interviews with the FBI while in Iran.
According to court filings, those conversations took place on September 30, October 8, October 17, October 28, and November 7.
During one of those interviews, Shakeri claimed an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps official had pressured him to produce a plan to assassinate Trump within seven days.
Shakeri told investigators he failed to develop such a plan and claimed the effort was postponed until after the election.
The FBI acknowledged in court filings that Shakeri has a history of dishonesty but said his claims about the alleged plot “appear to be truthful.”
However, when the Justice Department later secured indictments related to the case, the allegations involving Trump were not included.
Rivera and Loadholt later pleaded guilty to conspiring against the journalist.
Shakeri remains at large in Iran.
READ MORE – Iran Claims to Have Enough Uranium to Produce 11 Nuclear Weapons
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