Iran’s Assassination Target: John Bolton and Pompeo
On Wednesday, the declassification of the official accusation against an Iranian agent for plotting the assassination of John Bolton, the National Security Advisor during Trump’s era, shook the news landscape of Iran-U.S. relations. Shahram Poursafi is accused of plotting Bolton’s assassination and planning another assassination.
Autumn Operation
Shahram Poursafi, sought by the FBI, is identified as an officer of the Revolutionary Guard. He began his communications with an FBI informant last fall, claiming he intended to write a book and needed special photographs of John Bolton. It should be noted from the outset that John Bolton had a falling out with Donald Trump due to disagreements and was dismissed by Trump, or as Bolton claims, he resigned.
Contrary to the usual protocol where security services continue to protect prominent officials for a certain period after their tenure, Trump, out of spite, cut Bolton’s protective services on the day of his dismissal. Poursafi’s activities continued with constant contact with the FBI informant, and after some time, it became apparent that he had obtained significant information about Bolton’s residence and daily habits. He suggested to the informant to hire someone to eliminate the special person, who was Bolton.
After the informant sent documents and images regarding John Bolton’s office to Poursafi, Poursafi dictated the assassination plan to the informant, specifying the attack location as the large garage of the office building, which was sufficiently crowded. Although the plan fell apart at this stage and the informant’s identity has not been disclosed, it has been announced that Poursafi’s proposed amount was $300,000. In his interview with CNN about this news, Bolton expressed dissatisfaction that he was valued at only $300,000.
Next Operation
According to the official indictment document, Poursafi is also accused of planning another operation, which, as stated by a judicial official, was the assassination of former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Reports indicate that a million dollars had been allocated for his assassination.
The announcement of this news has prompted a serious reaction from some senior and key American diplomats who, despite their disagreements with Pompeo and even hatred towards him, have supported him in this particular matter.
Security and judicial officials do not consider this specific operation to be the only plan by the Revolutionary Guard to target former and current American officials. Beyond the statements and condemnations by Antony Blinken and Jake Sullivan regarding the assassination plots, American security officials, who had already planned to protect a group of former and current officials against potential Revolutionary Guard attacks, have now extended this protection to new individuals.
John Bolton, the JCPOA, and Assassination
Linking the assassination story to the JCPOA by John Bolton was entirely predictable, and in his various remarks following the announcement of the assassination plot against him, he warned about the dangers of the JCPOA and how it aids Iran in intensifying terrorist activities.
However, American officials, who have seriously and decisively condemned the Revolutionary Guard and warned Iran, have made no mention of the JCPOA and have even focused their statements solely on the Revolutionary Guard rather than mentioning the Iranian government. This approach can also be seen in American media.