Iran conveyed in a written message prior to the U.S. election that it had no intention of targeting then-presidential candidate Donald Trump, according to U.S. officials.

The message, dated October 14, was sent to the United States but went unreported until The Wall Street Journal revealed it on Friday.

This development followed a private communication from the U.S. to Iran in September, emphasizing the Biden administration’s stance that any threats to Trump’s life were a critical national security concern. The U.S. warned that such actions would be regarded as acts of war.

For years, Iran has publicly declared its desire for retribution against Trump for the January 2020 drone strike that killed Qassem Soleimani, the leader of the Quds Force. The Iranian government has also expressed intentions to harm other key figures from Trump’s administration, including former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Iran envoy Brian Hook, and national security adviser John Bolton. Due to these threats, all three individuals remain under Secret Service protection.

In July, Trump’s Secret Service detail was further bolstered by the Biden administration in response to intelligence suggesting an Iranian assassination attempt.

Iran’s response to the U.S. message reiterated its accusation that Trump committed a crime by ordering Soleimani’s killing, U.S. officials disclosed.

Neither Trump’s team nor U.S. officials have confirmed whether this response was shared with the then-president-elect.

Last week, the Justice Department detailed allegations of Iranian agents plotting to assassinate Trump prior to the election, adding to the broader narrative of Tehran’s ongoing threats against him.

In a related case, a Pakistani man allegedly connected to Iran was charged in August for conspiring to kill Trump.

The newly disclosed Iranian message came in the aftermath of an October 1 Iranian missile strike on Israel and ahead of Israel’s October 26 retaliatory attacks on Iranian air defense and missile sites.

Although the Biden administration had increased its military presence in the region before Israel’s strikes, the Pentagon clarified that the U.S. had no involvement in Israel’s actions.

Iranian officials, however, have dismissed allegations of plotting against Trump. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi referred to the claims as a “third-rate comedy.”

U.S. officials said their September message to Iran reiterated prior warnings about harming Trump. This communication was prompted by fresh intelligence. While they expressed confidence that Iranian leadership received the message, they declined to confirm whether it was relayed via Switzerland, the intermediary for U.S. interests in Iran.

Sources close to Iranian leadership suggested that Tehran seeks to avoid direct confrontations with the Trump administration. However, certain officials aligned with the president-elect signaled intentions to revive a “maximum pressure” policy, which previously inflicted severe economic strain on Iran.

{Matzav.com}