(Ken Silva, Headline USA) In his self-published book, failed Trump assassin Ryan Routh wrote about meeting Iranians while he was in Ukraine trying to help with the country against Russia in 2022. Routh said he worked with one of them on a failed drone project, while another unsuccessfully tried helping him get a visa to enter Iran.
Headline USA can confirm the identity of one of the Iranians: Mohammed Ali Pakzad, a journalist who covered the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in 2021 before going to Ukraine in 2022. This publication can also reveal that Pakzad was detained in Tehran earlier this year. His status is currently unknown.
#NewProfilePic pic.twitter.com/BP3Q6X0oZa
— Ali Pakzad (@alipakzad89) September 10, 2023
Routh, who was convicted last month for attempting to kill Trump at his golf course in September 2024, referred to Pakzad at least once in his book—writing that he hoped “at some point in the future that I am able to join my friends Ali and others in Iran and get to see their world.”
In February, Pakzad’s association with Routh was first reported by Sarah Ashton-Cirillo, the transgender American who worked as a spokesperson for Ukraine’s Territorial Defense Forces. However, Ashton-Cirillo—who also wrote that Routh “came to the attention of Ukrainian intelligence as early as October of 2022”—didn’t provide any sources to underpin the report.
Fast forward to last month, and Routh confirmed Ashton-Cirillo’s report when he released a picture of Pakzad and an unidentified man amongst a slew of court exhibits that he wanted to use in his defense. The picture was entitled, “Iranian picnic.” Routh never used the picture in court, and it’s not clear how he expected it to aid in his defense.
In any event, media reports show that Pakzad returned to Iran, and he was detained in Tehran on June 16 “for commenting on the conflict” with Israel, according to the Middle East Eye.
“This week, Ali Pakzad, a reporter for Sharq daily (sic), and Saeed Majidi, a photojournalist working with international outlets, were detained for two days because of their reporting activities,” the Middle East Eye reported on June 19. “Both were released on Wednesday after questioning.”
علی پاکزاد خبر نگار شرق که دیروز برای پوشش حمله اسرائیل به صدا و سیما به آنجا رفته و بازداشت شده بود، با خانواده خود تماس گرفت https://t.co/AGGCF40D6I
— Roya Boroumand (@RoyaBoroumand) June 17, 2025
While Pakzad was reportedly released, he could not be reached for comment. He didn’t respond to an email or text from this reporter, nor did his newspaper, the Sharqh Daily. His last Instagram post was from May, before he was detained.
Routh’s Iranian connections and comments he made in his book—particularly the one where he said Iran is “free to assassinate Trump” for pulling out of the nuclear deal—has sparked conspiracy theories that Iran was behind the attempts on Trump’s life. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeated those baseless claims, claiming earlier this year that Iran was linked to both the Palm Beach and the Butler, Pennsylvania assassination attempts.
They are again doubling down on the claim that Iran was behind both attempts on Trump's life. If you've researched either attack you already know how much of an absurd lie this is. pic.twitter.com/Xoy0Y8bM0j
— Clint Russell (@LibertyLockPod) June 15, 2025
However, Routh also wrote in his book that his “best partner” in Ukraine was a “Jew from Israel.”
Moreover, Pakzad’s involvement in pro-Western activities in Ukraine, and his detainment in Tehran, indicate that he’s a dissident from his country’s Islamic Republic.
Along with those facts, Routh was also trying to recruit Afghan fighters to Ukraine, some of whom were residing illegally in Iran. Iran expelled those Afghans from the country earlier this year on the grounds that some of them were working as spies for Israel.
Routh is set to be sentenced on Dec. 18.
Ken Silva is the editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/jd_cashless.
