Iran notified the Biden-Harris administration last month that it would not attempt to assassinate President-elect Donald Trump, according to US officials.
The secret missive from Tehran was delivered to Washington on Oct. 14, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, and US officials told the outlet that it came in response to a September warning from the US that any Iranian attempt on Trump’s life would be considered an act of war.
Iran’s message went on to accuse the 45th president of having committed a crime when he ordered the killing of the Islamic Republic’s top general, Qassem Soleimani, in 2020.
The note was not signed by a specific Iranian official.
It’s unclear whether the Biden-Harris administration notified Trump of the correspondence.
The Post has reached out to Trump’s transition team and the State Department for comment.
The Iranian regime has publicly vowed retribution against Trump, 78, over the drone strike that killed Soleimani near Baghdad International Airport in Iraq.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini promoted an animated video simulating a drone attack on Trump during an outing on his golf course back in 2022.
On July 12, one day before the first of two assassination attempts against Trump, authorities detained Pakistani national Asif Merchant, 46, whom prosecutors have alleged in court documents had been conspiring with Iranian handlers to potentially target the incoming president.
Iran is also alleged to have supported a hack into the Trump campaign, which saw a private dossier about Vice President-elect JD Vance leaked to several media outlets.
The US adversary has also allegedly been keen on taking out other former Trump administration officials.
Two years ago, the Justice Department unsealed charges against an individual in Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps over alleged efforts to kill Trump’s former National Security Adviser John Bolton.
The Iranian official had allegedly offered $300,000 to take out Bolton, a well-known Iran hawk, which the ex-official later joked was an embarrassingly low bounty.
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and ex-National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien have also been the recipients of ongoing Secret Service protection since leaving the Trump administration over threats from Iran.
Trump is expected to revive his “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran when he takes office in January.
He’s already tapped Iran hawks Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Rep. Mike Waltz to serve as his secretary of state and national security adviser, respectively.
