The head of the Iranian unit responsible for plotting the assassination of President Donald Trump has been killed in US strikes, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced, describing the killing as a deliberate and targeted outcome of the ongoing military operation against Iran.
Speaking at a press conference, Hegseth confirmed that American forces had tracked down and eliminated the individual leading the plot against the President. “The leader of the unit who attempted to assassinate President Trump has been hunted down and killed,” he said. “Iran tried to kill President Trump. And President Trump got the last laugh.”
Hegseth did not name the individual, but made clear that eliminating those responsible for the assassination plot had been built into the target list from the outset of the operation. “We’ve known for a long time that Iran had intentions on trying to kill President Trump and or other US officials,” he said. “And while that was not the focus of the effort by any stretch of the imagination, in fact, never raised by the president or anybody else, I ensured, and others ensured that those who were responsible for that were eventually part of the target list.”
The announcement came as Hegseth delivered a broader assessment of Operation Epic Fury, now in its fourth day, which he described in sweeping terms. He pointed to the sinking of an Iranian warship by a US submarine using a torpedo as one example of the military gains achieved in the opening phase of the campaign. “We are only four days into this, and the results have been incredible, historic really,” he said, adding that “only the United States of America could lead this.”
Hegseth concluded his remarks with a direct statement on the overall trajectory of the conflict. “I stand before you today with one unmistakable message about Operation Epic Fury — America is winning decisively, devastatingly and without mercy. They are toast, and they know it.”
The confirmation that a figure linked to an assassination plot against a sitting US president has been eliminated in the strikes is expected to feature prominently in the ongoing political debate in Washington over the objectives and justification for the Iran operation. Further details on the identity of the individual killed are anticipated as the military continues to assess the results of its strikes.
