FBI records obtained by Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, through whistleblower disclosures reveal an Iranian plot to assassinate former President Donald Trump and other U.S. officials on both sides of the political aisle.
The plans discussed targeting American "politicians, military people or bureaucrats," including Trump, President Joe Biden and former presidential candidate Nikki Haley, in retaliation for the death of Iranian military officer Qassem Soleimani.
"Bad actors are determined to wreak havoc on our country, and American political leaders across both parties are sitting squarely in the crosshairs," Grassley said in a statement. "In this extraordinarily heightened threat environment, federal agencies ought to be laser focused on building up public trust and reassuring the American people of their efforts to carry out their protective missions. I won't stop pressing for answers until Congress and the American people are afforded the transparency they deserve."
The latest revelations come as the investigation continues into the July 13 attempted assassination of Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Some Republicans have claimed that foreign entities, such as Iran or Pakistan, were involved in the attack.
Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., who sits on the House task force investigating the attempt on Trump's life, told the Daily Mail that he isn't convinced that 20-year-old gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks acted alone.
The discovery of an Iranian-backed plot to assassinate Trump and other American politicians is bolstering the theory that Crooks had foreign connections.
Asif Merchant, a Pakistani native with Iranian ties, provided the evidence in an FBI proffer agreement, according to Grassley's office. The Justice Department charged Merchant for his involvement in the scheme.
Last month, the expert Iranian hacking team APT42, also known as CharmingKitten in the cybersecurity research community, compromised the campaign of former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee.
The group is reportedly known for planting surveillance software on the mobile phones of its targets, which allows it to record calls, steal texts and turn on cameras and microphones silently. APT42 is widely believed to be associated with the Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Sources told Reuters that the hackers' entrance into the U.S. election is significant because of their signature invasive espionage approach against high-value American and Israeli targets.