WASHINGTON, July 9 — The years-long shadow war between the United States and Iran has taken another sharp turn, with U.S. intelligence agencies tracking multiple Iranian assassination plots against former and current American officials. The latest alleged plot, disclosed in July 2024, represents the most recent chapter in a cycle of retaliation that began with the U.S. drone strike that killed Qasem Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s Quds Force, near Baghdad International Airport on January 3, 2020. That strike set off a chain of events that continues to reverberate.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, responded by vowing “severe revenge.” Since then, U.S. intelligence agencies have reported a series of Iranian plots to assassinate former U.S. officials. The targets have included former National Security Advisor John Bolton and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
A Pattern of Plots
In August 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice charged a member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) with plotting to murder John Bolton. The case highlighted the reach of Iran’s Quds Force, the same unit Soleimani had commanded. Then, in January 2023, a U.S. federal indictment revealed an Iranian plot to kill former President Donald Trump.
No charges were filed in that case, but the disclosure underscored the persistent threat. The alleged plot disclosed in July 2024 represents the latest in this series of reported assassination attempts.
Roots in the JCPOA Withdrawal
These assassination plots did not emerge in a vacuum. They are the product of escalating hostilities that began with the U.S. withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018 and the imposition of sanctions on Iran. The killing of Soleimani in 2020 was a direct consequence of that escalation.
The cycle of retaliation has been relentless. The assassination plots against American officials are part of a broader campaign to exact a price for Soleimani’s killing, one that U.S. intelligence agencies have been monitoring closely.
What Comes Next
For the current U.S. administration, the threat is not abstract. The Secret Service and other protective agencies have increased security measures for current and former officials. The Department of Justice continues to investigate and prosecute Iranian-linked plots.
The latest plot, disclosed in July 2024, is a reminder that the shadow war between the United States and Iran is far from over. What to watch next: The U.S. intelligence community is expected to provide more details on the July 2024 plot in the coming weeks.
The Department of Justice may file charges against those involved. And the broader question remains: can the cycle of retaliation be broken, or will the shadow war continue to escalate? For now, the threat to American officials remains real, and the memory of Soleimani’s killing continues to fuel Iran’s quest for revenge.
