Fox News reports that Iran is considering an assassination attempt on the United States’ ambassador to South Africa.
The assassination attempt would be in retaliation for the United States’ takedown, back in January, of Qassem Soleimani. Soleimani was the leader of the Quds Force, the intelligence wing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard and a designated terrorist organization since 2007.
As such, Soleimani was behind the killing of a large number of American soldiers, and, according to the Pentagon, he “was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region.”
What we know
Politico first broke this story on Sunday citing “a U.S. government official familiar with the issue and another official who has seen the intelligence.”
The individual being targeted is Lana Marks, the U.S. Ambassador to South Africa. U.S. intelligence, though, believes that Marks is just one of many U.S. officials that Iran is considering as a target.
Marks, however, stands out because threats have been made against her since the spring, and, recently, those threats have become more specific.
Insiders told Fox News that United States intelligence is taking this threat seriously as officials believe that Iran does have the ability to carry such a threat out. Iran is also known to have planned such assassinations in the past.
Trump responds
President Donald Trump, on Monday evening, issued a warning to Iran on Twitter, threatening retaliatory action should Iran carry out the assassination attempt.
“According to press reports, Iran may be planning an assassination, or other attack, against the United States in retaliation for the killing of terrorist leader Soleimani, which was carried out for his planning a future attack, murdering U.S. Troops, and the death & suffering caused over so many years. ” Trump wrote.
He continued: “Any attack by Iran, in any form, against the United States will be met with an attack on Iran that will be 1,000 times greater in magnitude!”
Tensions between the United States and Iran are high and have been escalating particularly since President Trump pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal.
It’s unclear what Iran is going to do, but what is clear is that any action against the United States, according to President Trump, will have dire consequences for Iran.
The post Report: Iran plotting to assassinate U.S. ambassador first appeared on Conservative Institute.
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