On November 8th, the US Justice Department released a questionable press release claiming that an “I.R.G.C. Asset,” along with two of his operatives, were tasked by Iran to plot an assassination of President-Elect Donald Trump. The press release also claimed that these three were involved in a plot to murder a U.S. citizen of Iranian origin who publicly expressed opposition to the Iranian government. 

The press release accused the I.R.G.C. asset of “taking vengeance” for the January 2020 assassination of General Qassem Soleimani by a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad. The press release emphasized that the I.R.G.C is a “foreign terrorist organization” and that the F.B.I. will “remain unrelenting in the pursuit of bad actors.” It is significant to note that the press release provided no evidence to the alleged connection between these individuals and the I.R.G.C. The report also noted this is a complaint and that “a complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.” 

This press release appears to be part of a larger trend of statements being released by the U.S. Department of Justice attempting to connect the I.R.G.C. with assassination attempts of U.S. officials. A previous press release from the US Department Of Justice in August, 2024 claimed that a “Pakistani national with ties to Iran” was plotting to assassinate a U.S. government official. This report stated that “this dangerous murder-for-hire plot exposed in today’s charges allegedly was orchestrated by a Pakistani national with close ties to Iran and is straight out of the Iranian playbook.” 

Both cases have similar language and a related underlying message. Firstly, they both point to the assassination of General Soleimani and allegedly claim that the operatives seek vengeance. To add on, these reports claim that the I.R.G.C. is allegedly working within the United States to target certain U.S. officials with no evidence. 

In fact, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denounced the most recent case calling it “a fabricated scenario.” He states, “now, with another election, a new scenario is fabricated with the same goal: as a killer does not exist in reality, scriptwriters are brought in to manufacture a third-rate comedy. Who can in their right mind believe that a supposed assassin SITS IN IRAN and talks online to the FBI?” He also stated that “the American people have made their decision. And Iran respects their right to elect the president of their choice.” 

The points of ambiguity that the Iranian Foreign Minister notes here bring about significant reflecting points on the broader theme that can be found throughout these cases. For example, there has not been any evidence presented to suggest that the I.R.G.C. is working within the U.S. to “assassinate officials.” Furthermore, this would be counterproductive to the interests of Iran as it progresses as an independent sovereign nation. 

Some speculate that such cases could potentially be used as a pretext to officially push blame towards the I.R.G.C. for any future assassinations of U.S. officials. Others have pointed out that this could be used as a tactic to increase fear-mongering to the general public against Iran as well as to further demonize it as a means of justifying an impending war. These methods of demonizing nations as a means to manufacture consent to rationalize wars overseas have been used throughout U.S history, such as in Iraq, Yemen, Vietnam and Korea.