US indicts Iranian plot to kill ex-Trump adviser John Bolton

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Washington — United States Wednesday, John Bolton Indicted members of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard Corps for plotting the murder of National Security Advisor to former President Donald Trump.

The Ministry of Justice said that Tehran's Mehdi his 45-year-old Shahram Pursafi, also known as Rezai, had been killed by Iranian commander Qassem in retaliation for the death of his Soleimani. , argued that he was likely motivated to kill Bolton. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was killed in a US drone strike in January 2020.

Iran's mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Iran does not have an extradition treaty with the United States and Pursafi is on the run. The FBI released a Most Wanted poster on Wednesday.

A U.S. official who does not believe the accusations have repercussions, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Iran has curbed its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

But he, a powerful Iranian political faction, has accused the IRGC of controlling a business empire and Washington of conducting a global terrorist campaign. The elite military and intelligence agencies that are in charge may react to the charges.

Indirect talks between the US and Iran ended in Vienna on Monday, with European Union officials saying they had submitted final documents to revive the nuclear deal Trump abandoned in 2018.

According to the criminal complaint, Pursafi asked a U.S. resident, identified only as "Individual A," to photograph Bolton, under the pretense that the photograph was needed for an upcoming book. Did. The US resident then referred Puru Safi to a secret government informant.

Investigators said the following month Puru Safi would contact informants on an encrypted messaging application and spend 250,000 to hire someone to "get rid" of Bolton. I said I gave the person the dollar.

When the informant asked his Poursafi to be more specific with his demands, he said he wanted "that man" to be purged, according to the affidavit supporting the complaint. , provided Bolton's first and last name.

He later instructed informants to open cryptocurrency accounts to facilitate payments. In subsequent correspondence, he told his informant that it didn't matter how the killing was done, but that his "group" would need the video as proof that the deed had taken place.

In a statement on Twitter Wednesday, Bolton thanked the Justice Department for taking action.

"I can't say much at this point, but there is one thing he is indisputable about," he said. "Iran's ruler is a liar, a terrorist and an enemy of the United States." Receive the latest headlines, stories, opinions and photos from his Toronto Sun.