**Foiled Iranian Plot to Assassinate Donald Trump Before Election Leads to Federal Charges**

In a startling development on Friday, the Justice Department revealed federal charges against three individuals in connection with an unsuccessful Iranian plot to assassinate Donald Trump ahead of the presidential election. Court documents show that Iranian officials solicited one of the accused, Farhad Shakeri, in September to conduct surveillance and ultimately execute a plan to kill Trump. Shakeri remains at large in Iran, according to the Justice Department.

Shakeri was allegedly instructed by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to carry out several assassinations targeting US and Israeli citizens within the United States. However, prosecution documents indicate that on October 7, IRGC officials directed Shakeri to focus exclusively on plotting Trump’s assassination within a seven-day time frame. Should Shakeri fail to devise a plan within this period, the IRGC would reconsider moving forward until after the election, anticipating Trump’s potential defeat.

In recorded conversations with law enforcement, Shakeri admitted receiving these directives. He faces grave accusations in what the Justice Department describes as a new disclosed plot, amplifying concerns about continual threats to Trump’s life orchestrated by the Iranian regime.

Alongside Shakeri, two other men, Carlisle Rivera and Jonathon Loadholt, both American citizens, have also been charged. Arrested in New York, Rivera and Loadholt are accused of aiding the Iranian government by surveilling another American citizen of Iranian descent. Following their initial court appearance on Thursday, they are now detained pending trial.

Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray both condemned the ongoing threats posed by the Iranian government. Garland emphasized the grave national security threat Iran represents, stating, "The Justice Department has charged an asset of the Iranian regime who was tasked by the regime to direct a network of criminal associates to further Iran's assassination plots against its targets, including President-elect Donald Trump."

This incident heightens longstanding US fears that Iran might retaliate for the 2020 drone strike authorized by Trump, which killed high-ranking IRGC general Qasem Soleimani. The federal charges underscore the continuous vigilance required to protect national security interests against foreign adversaries. Further details of this breaking news story will be reported as they emerge.