TEHRAN, July 9 — Esmail Ghaani, the Iranian brigadier general who succeeded Qasem Soleimani as commander of the Quds Force, remains at the center of an alleged plot to kill President Donald Trump, according to intelligence and security filings reviewed by this reporter. The record shows Ghaani succeeded Soleimani on January 3, 2020, the same day a U.S. drone strike killed his predecessor near Baghdad International Airport.
Born August 8, 1957, in Mashhad, Iran, Ghaani had served as Soleimani’s deputy for over two decades, a span during which he helped oversee Iran’s proxy forces in the Middle East. Under Ghaani’s command, the Quds Force—the overseas arm of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps—has continued operations targeting U.S. and Israeli assets.
The U.S. Treasury Department has designated Ghaani as a sanctioned individual.
The July 2024 Plot
The alleged assassination plot against President Trump was first reported in July 2024. According to sources familiar with the intelligence, elements within the Quds Force operating under Ghaani’s leadership are believed to have directed the scheme. Details of the plot remain classified in significant part, but U.S. officials have stated publicly that the threat was credible and that protective measures were escalated accordingly.
The timeline is notable: the alleged plot emerged roughly four and a half years after Soleimani’s killing, a period during which Iran repeatedly vowed revenge. The Trump administration had authorized the Soleimani strike in January 2020.
Ghaani, who had spent his entire career in Soleimani’s shadow, was thrust into the top operational role at a moment of maximum tension.
A Career in the Shadows
Ghaani’s rise through the IRGC was methodical. He joined the force during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s and gradually ascended through its ranks. His long tenure as Soleimani’s deputy meant he was intimately familiar with the Quds Force’s network of proxies.
The U.S. Treasury’s sanctions on Ghaani reflect Washington’s assessment that he is directly responsible for activities that threaten American interests and allies.
What to Watch Next
The alleged assassination plot remains under active investigation by U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies. Security analysts are watching for any additional indictments, public disclosures from the intelligence community, or retaliatory actions that could escalate the shadow conflict between Washington and Tehran. Ghaani himself has not publicly commented on the plot allegations.
The Iranian government has denied involvement in any plan to assassinate President Trump, though it has repeatedly stated that Soleimani’s killing was an act of state terrorism that would not go unanswered.
