The involvement of Farhad Shakeri in an alleged assassination conspiracy targeting former U.S. President Donald Trump has brought to light a complex web of international tensions, criminal history, and covert operations.
Shakeri, a 51-year-old Afghan man reportedly affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has been accused by the U.S.
Department of Justice (DOJ) of organizing a high-stakes assassination plot intended as retaliation for the death of Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani in 2020. This plot also allegedly targeted two Jewish American businessmen and Iranian-American activist Masih Alinejad.
Shakeri’s Criminal Background and Connections in the U.S.
Farhad Shakeri’s journey to becoming a key figure in this plot has roots in his earlier life in the United States. Shakeri arrived in the U.S. as a young man, but the exact year and details of his life prior to his criminal activities remain undisclosed.
His criminal record dates back to 1994 when he was convicted of robbery and subsequently served 14 years in various state correctional facilities, including the Woodbourne Correctional Center in New York.
It was during this time, according to the DOJ, that Farhad Shakeri established connections with individuals who would later become his co-conspirators.
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Farhad Shakeri’s history of incarceration in the U.S. correctional system exposed him to various criminal networks and ultimately led to his deportation in 2008 after serving his sentence. His parole monitoring continued until 2015, marking a prolonged period of supervision.
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In a surprising twist, Farhad Shakeri was later detained in Sri Lanka in 2019 on charges of heroin trafficking. His international criminal activities during this time and alleged connections to Iran’s IRGC indicate a shift towards more complex and global criminal networks, likely influenced by Tehran’s interests.
Iran’s Motive and Tehran’s Alleged Role in the Assassination Plot
The U.S. DOJ claims that Shakeri became an asset for the IRGC after his deportation and that he played a central role in orchestrating an assassination scheme aimed at Donald Trump, likely as retribution for the killing of Qasem Soleimani, the former Quds Force commander.
Soleimani’s death, ordered by Trump in January 2020, had far-reaching implications, heightening tensions between the U.S. and Iran and fueling Tehran’s desire for vengeance.
The Iranian government allegedly saw the planned assassination as a way to assert its stance and demonstrate the repercussions of Trump’s policies.
Shakeri’s co-conspirators in the plot include two New York residents, Jonathan Loadholt of Staten Island and Carlisle Rivera of Brooklyn, also known as Pop.
The indictment alleges that Farhad Shakeri met his co-conspirators while in U.S. prisons, establishing a network that could later be utilized for this high-profile mission. While Loadholt and Rivera are in custody, Shakeri is reportedly free in Iran, leading to diplomatic complexities as the U.S. seeks accountability.
Escalating Political Tensions and the Plot’s Suspension
In recorded conversations, Shakeri admitted to the FBI that he had no immediate plans to carry out the assassination, reportedly due to a belief that Trump might not win re-election.
According to the DOJ, Iranian officials instructed him to delay the operation, anticipating that Trump’s loss in the 2020 election would make him an easier target without the protective barrier of Secret Service personnel.
Farhad Shakeri’s delay demonstrates the calculated nature of the plot and the IRGC’s strategic patience, as they aimed to wait for an opportune moment to act.
The alleged plot underscores the broader landscape of U.S.-Iran relations and the geopolitical implications of Trump’s foreign policy decisions.
While the plan did not come to fruition, it reveals the lengths to which Tehran might go to avenge Soleimani’s death and the persistent volatility surrounding former President Trump’s actions in the Middle East.
This plot, if confirmed, highlights how individual actors like Shakeri become enmeshed in the ongoing international hostilities that extend beyond conventional political measures.
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