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The United States Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, stated this week that the Pentagon eliminated the leader of a unit in Iran linked to an alleged plot to assassinate President Donald Trump during the 2024 election campaign, amid the military escalation that Washington is maintaining against Tehran.
During a press conference held on March 4 at the Pentagon, Hegseth stated that the individual responsible for the plan was located and eliminated during the ongoing U.S. military offensive against the Iranian regime.
“It has been tracked down and eliminated. Iran attempted to kill President Trump, and he had the final say,” stated the head of the Pentagon during a joint appearance with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Caine.
An alleged conspiracy against Trump
Hegseth did not publicly reveal the identity of the eliminated Iranian leader, although analysts believe that it could be the person indicated in 2024 by the U.S. Department of Justice as the alleged organizer of a plan ordered by the Revolutionary Guard to assassinate Trump using hitmen.
The head of the Pentagon insisted that that plot was not the main reason for the current war, although he assured that those responsible ended up being among the military targets.
"That was not the objective of the operation in any sense. In fact, it was never proposed by the president or anyone else: I made sure, along with others, that those responsible for that ended up on the list of targets," he stated.
“The Iranian leader who attempted to assassinate Trump has been killed. Iran tried to kill President Trump, and in the end, the president laughed.”, he stated.
Tehran has repeatedly denied having attempted to assassinate the American leader.
Trump's statements
Trump himself recently added a personal element to the confrontation with Iran.
In statements to ABC News, he claimed that the Iranian Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, had attempted to assassinate him.
“Jamenei tried to kill me twice, but I got to him before he got to me. I arrived first”, declared the president.
The leader linked those alleged conspiracies to the tension that has existed between both countries since 2020, when an airstrike ordered by the United States killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, a key figure in the Revolutionary Guard and regarded as a national hero in Iran.
Since then, U.S. prosecutors have filed charges in at least two cases of alleged plots to assassinate Trump linked to networks associated with Tehran.
Authorities clarified that these plans are not related to the two assassination attempts against Trump during the 2024 campaign: one during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and another while golfing in West Palm Beach, Florida.
The military offensive against Iran
The statement regarding the alleged plot came as the Pentagon provided details of the ongoing military campaign against Iran. According to the official, the military operation—called "Operation Epic Fury"—is part of a joint offensive between the United States and Israel aimed at weakening Iran's military capability and curbing its arms program.
The Defense Secretary also stated that the attacks have dealt a severe blow to Iranian forces.
“The Iranian air force no longer exists; it was destroyed in 2026. The Iranian navy is sunk in the Persian Gulf,” he stated.
According to the official, the ultimate goal is to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons.
"Iran will never possess a nuclear weapon," he assured.
"Historical results" in the early days of the offensive
Hegseth stated that the first days of the operation have produced significant results, although he acknowledged that the conflict is still in its early stages.
"We've been at this for four days. The metrics over there are changing, and things are settling down. It's still early, but as Trump said, we will take all the time necessary to ensure success," he said.
According to the Pentagon, the United States and Israel have achieved total control of Iranian airspace, which would allow for the escalation of attacks.
"Last night, the two most powerful air forces in the world had total control of Iranian airspace. That means absolute control of the airspace, with no opposition," he stated.
The Secretary of Defense announced that the military campaign will continue with greater intensity.
Despite the air dominance proclaimed by Washington, the official acknowledged that some Iranian missiles succeeded in breaching U.S. defenses, resulting in the deaths of six soldiers. He stated that these deaths will be avenged.
Changing Justifications for War
The current offensive against Iran has been justified by Washington with a combination of reasons: Iran's nuclear program, the development of long-range ballistic missiles, support for armed groups in the region, and, to a lesser extent, the alleged plots against Trump.
Although U.S. officials have acknowledged that these conspiracies influenced the political context of the decision, the government has insisted that they are not the main reason for the conflict.
For now, as the military campaign continues and tensions in the Middle East escalate, questions remain about the true scope of the operation, the identity of the Iranian leader who was killed, and the potential impact of the conflict on regional stability.
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