The FBI in Miami has issued a warning about a wanted Iranian assassin who is believed to be responsible for targeting both current and former public officials, including individuals associated with the administration of former President Donald Trump.
On Friday, the FBI field office in Miami released a wanted notice for Majid Dastjani Farahani.
According to the FBI, Majid Dastjani Farahani, an Iranian intelligence officer, is being sought for questioning. The authorities believe that he was involved in recruiting individuals for different activities within the United States. These activities allegedly include targeting and harming current and former United States Government officials as a form of retaliation for the assassination of IRGC-QF Commander Qasem Soleimani.
According to the FBI, Farahani was involved in recruiting individuals to conduct surveillance on religious sites, businesses, and other facilities within the United States. The FBI stated that Farahani was either directly or indirectly acting on behalf of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security.
The FBI’s announcement comes at a time when tensions between the U.S. and Iran are running high. Earlier this year, three U.S. Service members lost their lives in a military base in Jordan. President Joe Biden held Iran accountable, stating that “radical, Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq” were behind the attack. This raised questions about Iran’s involvement in the incident.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaan denied Tehran’s involvement in the attacks, stating that Iran does not play a role in the decision-making of resistance groups, as reported by the BBC.
In 2022, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi delivered a speech in which he held Trump and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo responsible for the assassination of Soleimani.
In December 2023, Farahani and another Iranian intelligence officer Mohammad Mahdi Khanpour Ardestani faced sanctions from the U.S. Treasury Department.
According to the Treasury Department, Farahani and Ardestani have enlisted individuals for different operations within the United States. These operations include targeting and causing harm to current and former U.S. Government officials as a form of retaliation for the death of Qasem Soleimani, the Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force. Additionally, Farahani and Ardestani have recruited individuals for surveillance activities, specifically focusing on religious sites, businesses, and other facilities within the United States.
