The Assassination of John Bolton and Pompeo: Iran’s Assassination Target
On Wednesday, the news of the official indictment of an Iranian agent for plotting the assassination of John Bolton, Trump’s National Security Advisor, turned the news landscape of Iran-U.S. relations upside down. Shahram Poursafi is accused of plotting Bolton’s assassination and planning another assassination.
Autumn Operation
Shahram Poursafi, who is being sought by the FBI, has been identified as an officer of the Revolutionary Guards. Since last autumn, he began contacting a source within the FBI, claiming he intended to write a book and needed special photos of John Bolton. It should be noted from the start that John Bolton had a falling out with Donald Trump due to political disagreements and was dismissed by Trump, or as Bolton claims, he resigned.
Contrary to the usual procedure where security services protect prominent officials for a certain period after their term ends, Trump, out of spite, cut off Bolton’s protective services the same day he was dismissed. In any case, Poursafi continued his activities by maintaining constant contact with the FBI insider, and it was later revealed that he had obtained significant information about Bolton’s residence and daily habits. He proposed to the insider to hire someone to eliminate the special person, who was Bolton.
After the insider sent documents and photos regarding John Bolton’s office to Poursafi, he dictated the assassination plan to him, specifying the attack location as the large garage of the office building, which was sufficiently crowded. Although the plan fell through at this stage and the insider’s identity has not been disclosed, it has been revealed that Poursafi’s proposed amount was $300,000. In his interview with CNN, Bolton expressed dissatisfaction that he was valued at only $300,000.
Next Operation
As stated in the official indictment, Poursafi is also accused of planning another operation, which, according to a judicial official, was the assassination plot against former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Reports suggest that a million dollars had been allocated for his assassination.
The announcement of this news has elicited serious reactions from some senior and key American diplomats who, despite their disagreements and even dislike for Pompeo, have supported him in this particular matter.
Security and judicial officials do not consider this specific operation the only plan of the Revolutionary Guards 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 attacks by the Revolutionary Guards, have now expanded this protection to include 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 statements following the announcement of the assassination plot, he warned about the dangers of the JCPOA and how it aids Iran in intensifying its terrorist activities.
However, American officials who have firmly condemned the Revolutionary Guards and warned Iran have made no mention of the JCPOA and have focused their remarks solely on the Revolutionary Guards, even more than mentioning the Iranian government. This approach can also be seen in American media.