Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian denies any involvement in a plot to assassinate President-elect Trump, stating that “we never attempted this to begin with, and we never will.” This comes after US intelligence authorities had previously claimed that Iran was exploring an attempt on Trump’s life prior to Election Day.
In an interview with NBC News’ Lester Holt, Pezeshkian attributed the allegations to Israeli and other countries’ efforts to promote Iranophobia. He emphasized that Iran has never and will never attempt to assassinate anyone, including President-elect Trump.
The statement comes as President-elect Trump’s incoming special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Ret. Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, called for a policy of “maximum pressure” to be reinstated on Iran, citing concerns over the country’s development and acquisition of a nuclear weapon.
Kellogg’s remarks echo the sentiments of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has long been a vocal critic of the Iran nuclear deal. The former President Trump withdrew from the deal in 2018, reimposing economic sanctions on Iran, a move that had been met with widespread international condemnation.
In response to the latest developments, Pezeshkian reiterated Iran’s commitment to its nuclear program, stating that the country’s development and acquisition of a nuclear weapon would be the most destabilizing event for the Middle East.