US Kills Iranian Assassination Plotter Targeting Trump

Defense Secretary Hegseth says Iran tried to kill former President Trump, but 'he got them first'

Published on Mar. 5, 2026

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The leader of an Iranian unit behind an attempted 2024 plot to assassinate former President Donald Trump has been killed, according to U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Hegseth said the U.S. had known for a long time that Iran had intentions of trying to kill Trump, and while that was not the focus of the operation, those responsible were eventually targeted. The killing comes after Trump mentioned the assassination plot when discussing the U.S. and Israeli strike that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, saying 'I got him before he got me' and that Iran had tried to kill him twice.

Why it matters

The revelation of an Iranian plot to assassinate a former U.S. president underscores the ongoing tensions and hostility between the U.S. and Iran. It also highlights the security challenges faced by former presidents and the lengths that adversaries may go to in order to target American leadership.

The details

According to Hegseth, the leader of the Iranian unit behind the 2024 assassination plot on Trump has now been killed in a U.S. operation. Hegseth said the killing was not the primary objective, but those responsible were eventually targeted. In 2024, U.S. intelligence had indicated an Iranian threat to assassinate Trump when he was campaigning for president, prompting increased Secret Service protection. In November 2024, the Department of Justice charged an Iranian man who prosecutors said was tasked with surveilling and killing Trump to avenge the 2020 death of Qassem Soleimani, the top commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

  • In the summer of 2024, U.S. intelligence indicated an Iranian threat to assassinate then-candidate Trump.
  • In November 2024, the Department of Justice charged an Iranian man for the alleged assassination plot.
  • On March 4, 2026, the leader of the Iranian unit behind the 2024 assassination plot was killed in a U.S. operation.

The players

Donald Trump

Former President of the United States who was the target of an alleged Iranian assassination plot in 2024.

Pete Hegseth

U.S. Secretary of Defense who announced the killing of the Iranian assassination plotter.

Qassem Soleimani

Top commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps who was killed in a U.S. drone strike in 2020.

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What they’re saying

“Yesterday, the leader of the unit who attempted to assassinate President Trump has been hunted down and killed. Iran tried to kill President Trump, and President Trump got the last laugh.”

— Pete Hegseth, U.S. Secretary of Defense (mycentraloregon.com)

“I got him before he got me. They tried twice. Well, I got him first.”

— Donald Trump (ABC News)

What’s next

The U.S. government is expected to provide more details on the operation that killed the Iranian assassination plotter in the coming days.

The takeaway

This incident underscores the ongoing tensions and hostility between the U.S. and Iran, and the security challenges faced by former presidents. It also highlights the U.S. government's willingness to take action against those it deems threats to American leadership.