(Headline USA) A new book says that national security officials working under the Biden administration told Donald Trump last September that there were Iranian “hit teams” hunting him inside the U.S.—a claim for which there is no credible evidence. Thus far, the only publicly known “hitmen” involved in Iranian assassination conspiracies in the U.S. have been either undercover FBI agents or informants.
The book, “2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America,” also claims that Iran nearly assassinated Trump’s former CIA director, Mike Pompeo, in Paris, France in 2022.
“In 2022, Iranians learned of the Paris hotel where Pompeo was staying and tried to assassinate him. He narrowly escaped,” states a Washington Post review of the book. WaPo admitted that the book didn’t present any evidence for its claim, such as law enforcement reports, witnesses or other documentation, Instead, the book is largely underpinned by interviews with anonymous sources, according to WaPo.
We know from history that Washington Post is used to pump out CIA propaganda, but it's still surreal to see it in real-time.
WaPo reports that Iran tried assassinating Mike Pompeo in France in 2022. No police reports, witnesses or other documentation — just some rumor printed… https://t.co/LngDbW1M7S pic.twitter.com/Fau3hdJvaf— Ken Silva (@JD_Cashless) June 30, 2025
The book says that the Trump campaign went to great lengths to protect itself after receiving the briefing on the so-called Iranian threat.
“Trump switched planes for one trip after Secret Service agents grew especially concerned about his jet, which could be vulnerable to surface-to-air missiles with fewer defensive systems than Air Force One,” the book says, according to WaPo.
“On the other days, when Trump did travel in his own jet, Secret Service agents started flying decoy planes and driving down the runway behind him as he took off, extra precautions in case someone were to shoot at the jet. Trump’s team began meeting at Mar-a-Lago for security sweeps instead of converging at the airport. One time, an agent yelled at staff as they boarded: ‘Get on the plane as fast as you can! Keep your head down!’” the book reportedly says.
“The agents, the aides later learned, were worried about snipers and missiles.”
The new book, which hits shelves July 8, echoes similar claims made by Axios writer Alex Isenstadt, as well as intelligence analyst Sam Shoemate, who told ex-CIA operator Shawn Ryan in January that “Iranian missiles” had been smuggled into the country through a U.S. port of entry.
“Their intent was to take down Trump’s airplane,” Shoemate said.
You really have to hear this bullshit for yourself. They're claiming Iranian missiles were smuggled through legal U.S. points of entry in a plot to down Trump's jet. https://t.co/tYPfJvxIro pic.twitter.com/f5hgKTDXAz
— Ken Silva (@JD_Cashless) January 7, 2025
However, there has been no evidence released to support the above-mentioned claims. As Headline USA has documented extensively, the only “hitmen” involved in Iranian assassination conspiracies have been undercover FBI agents and an informant. Additionally, the man who was busted for trying to hire these undercover FBI agents has no known associates in the U.S., according to the Bureau of Prisons.
Unfortunately for those who care about the truth, it appears as if Trump believes what the national security officials have been telling him.
According to the 2024 book, he would repeatedly ask then-Secret Service Acting Director Ronald Rowe about whether would-be assassins Thomas Crooks or Ryan Routh were sponsored by Iran.
“What is clear is that Iran weighed heavily on Trump’s mind,” WaPo said in its book review.
In February, Trump said he’s left his administration instructions to “obliterate” Iran if he’s assassinated.
Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press
