Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has dismissed allegations that Tehran planned to assassinate U.S. President-elect Donald Trump as baseless and part of a campaign to incite “Iranophobia.” In an exclusive interview with NBC News, Pezeshkian firmly denied any such intentions, stating, “We have never attempted this to begin with, and we never will.”
The remarks come in response to accusations filed by the U.S. Justice Department in November 2024, which implicated an Iranian national and the Revolutionary Guard Corps in a supposed plot to kill Trump. The alleged scheme was claimed to be retaliation for the 2020 assassination of General Qasem Soleimani, ordered by Trump.
While U.S. authorities assert the plot was foiled, Pezeshkian characterized the accusations as part of a broader strategy by Israel and other external powers to fuel hostility toward Iran. He reiterated that Iran had provided written assurances of its peaceful intentions through Swiss diplomats in October 2024.
Pezeshkian stressed that the core issue between Tehran and Washington is the lack of fulfillment of commitments following diplomatic talks. “The problem we have is not in dialogue. It’s in the commitments that arise from talk and dialogue,” he said.
Tensions between the two nations remain high, exacerbated by Trump’s withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal and the reimposition of sanctions during his first term. Despite Biden administration efforts to revive the agreement, relations have continued to sour.
The Iranian president also dismissed allegations of Iranian cyber interference in U.S. affairs, citing a history of U.S. interference in Iran, including the 1953 coup and the 2020 Soleimani assassination.
Pezeshkian’s interview marks his first major engagement with international media since Trump’s election victory in 2024, signaling Tehran’s intent to counter allegations with a diplomatic stance while calling for constructive engagement free from external pressure.
