White House says it has been monitoring threats to Trump-era officials from Iran

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - The White House said Thursday it has been keeping an eye on threats from Iran against Trump administration officials following a deadly 2020 strike that killed a senior Iranian general.

"We certainly have been mindful of, in monitoring the threat specifically from Iran, when it comes to officials of the former administration in particular. We've been monitoring this for years, all tied to the strike that killed Mr. Soleimani, and the Iranians desire for retribution for that," National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters.

He was referring to a 2020 strike in Baghdad authorized by former President Donald Trump that killed Qasem Soleimani, an Iranian general who led Tehran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.

"This is something that we've been very, very closely monitoring, and will continue to do so," said Kirby. "It's not something that we have ever lost sight of, or stopped monitoring, and also that we continue to communicate, as appropriate, with those who could be targeted."

CNN, citing multiple people briefed on the matter, reported Tuesday that the US recently received intelligence from a human source regarding an Iranian plot to assassinate Trump. The outlet said the intelligence prompted the Secret Service to step up security around the former president in recent weeks.

Law enforcement officials have been worried for months about a continued threat of Iran potentially attempting to assassinate former Trump administration officials and the former president, said the network.

Iran's UN mission, meanwhile, denied the "unsubstantiated and malicious" accusations.

"From the perspective of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Trump is a criminal who must be prosecuted and punished in a court of law for ordering the assassination of General Soleimani. Iran has chosen the legal path to bring him to justice," it said in a statement to Anadolu.

A lone 20 year-old gunman opened fire on Trump during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, striking him in his right ear, critically injuring two rally goers and killing a third.

Authorities have yet to determine a motive in the assassination attempt. They identified the suspected shooter as Thomas Matthew Crooks.