Sun Nov 10 05:02:43 UTC 2024: ## Iranian National Charged with Plotting Assassination of President-Elect Trump, Also Targeted Israeli Tourists in Sri Lanka

**Washington, November 10, 2024** – An Iranian national, identified as Farhad Shakeri, has been charged by the FBI for allegedly plotting the assassination of President-elect Donald Trump. According to the Department of Justice, Shakeri, a 51-year-old Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) asset, was also tasked with targeting Israeli tourists in Sri Lanka.

The criminal complaint, filed on November 8, alleges that Shakeri was instructed by the IRGC to carry out a mass shooting targeting Israeli tourists in Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka, in October 2024.

In late October, the U.S. and Israeli governments issued public warnings about threats against tourists in the Arugam Bay area. Shortly after, Sri Lankan authorities arrested three individuals suspected of involvement in the plot.

Shakeri, currently believed to reside in Tehran, Iran, is still at large. He reportedly confessed to the FBI that he had instructed one of the arrested suspects, identified as CC-2, to surveil the Israeli consulate in Sri Lanka. Shakeri claims he provided this information to an IRGC official, who then instructed him to identify a new target. Shakeri then tasked CC-2 with surveilling a tourist location in Arugam Bay frequented by Israelis, with the goal of orchestrating a mass shooting. The plan involved CC-2 supplying weapons, including AK-47s, for the attack.

The Department of Justice is pursuing the case against Shakeri, who remains a fugitive. This incident highlights the growing concern over potential Iranian involvement in attacks targeting both American and Israeli interests.

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