US charges Iranian over alleged plot to kill John Bolton
This is the second high-profile case in two years where Iranian operatives allegedly sought to harm a US citizen.
The US government charged an Iranian man today in relation to an alleged plot to kill former US national security adviser John Bolton.
Shahram Poursafi of Tehran, who also goes by Mehdi Rezayi, was charged with use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire as well as with providing and attempting to provide material support to a transnational murder plot, according to a US Department of Justice press release.
The department alleged that Poursafi attempted to pay people $300,000 to murder Bolton starting in October of 2021. He first contacted an unidentified US resident to take photos of Bolton, presumably for a book. That person then introduced Poursafi to an individual identified as a confidential human source, meaning said individual at some point provided information to the federal government.
The two had several exchanges about the alleged plot for months. In April of this year, the source asked Poursafi for some of the $300,000 to be paid before going further. Poursafi then allegedly sent the source just $100 in cryptocurrency, according to the release.
