Three days after President Donald Trump was elected to his second term, then-President Joe Biden's Justice Department published a press release that included a statement by then-Attorney General Merrick Garland — and cited murderous acts Iran was allegedly planning to perpetrate inside the United States.

"There are few actors in the world that pose as grave a threat to the national security of the United States as does Iran," Garland said in this release. "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."

Nor was Trump Iran's only target, according to Garland.

"We have also charged and arrested two individuals who we allege were recruited as part of that network to silence and kill, on U.S. soil, an American journalist who has been a prominent critic of the regime," said Biden's attorney general.

"We will not stand for the Iranian regime's attempts to endanger the American people and America's national security," Garland said.

In this release, the Biden Justice Department said: "According to the complaint and other public statements and filings, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran ... is actively targeting nationals of the United States and its allies living in countries around the world for attacks, including assault, kidnapping, and murder, both to repress and silence dissidents critical of the Iranian regime and to take vengeance for the January 2020 death of then-Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Qods Force (IRGD-QF), Qasem Soleimani, who was killed by a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad."

This press release included a link to a criminal complaint filed that day against Farhad Shakeri, Carlisle Rivera and Jonathan Loadholt in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

The complaint asserted the Shakeri had "participated in voluntary telephonic interviews with FBI agents" and that he "represented that, at the time of the interviews, he was located in Tehran, Iran."

What did the FBI learn from Shakeri?

"Also according to SHAKERI," alleged the complaint, "in approximately mid-to-late September 2024, IRGC Official-1 asked SHAKERI to put aside his other efforts on behalf of the IRGC and focus on surveilling, and, ultimately, assassinating, former President of the United States, Donald J. Trump ('Victim-4' herein). SHAKERI indicated to IRGC Official-1 that this would cost a 'huge' amount of money. In response, IRGC Official-1 said that 'we have already spent a lot of money ... (s)o the money's not an issue,' which SHAKERI understood to mean that the IRGC previously had spent a significant sum of money on efforts to murder Victim-4 and was willing to continue spending a lot of money in its attempt to procure Victim-4's assassination."

"According to SHAKERI," alleged this complaint, "during his meeting with IRGC Official-1 on or about October 7, 2024, IRGC Official-1 directed SHAKERI to provide a plan within seven days to kill Victim-4. If SHAKERI was unable to put forth a plan within that timeframe, IRGC Official-1 continued, the IRGC would pause its plan to kill Victim-4 until after the U.S. presidential elections, because IRGC Official-1 assessed that Victim-4 would lose the election and, afterward, it would be easier to assassinate Victim-4. During that interview SHAKERI claimed to the FBI that he did not intend to propose a plan to murder Victim-4 within the timeframe set by IRGC Offical-1."

This January, the Justice Department put out another press release about this case.

"CARLISLE RIVERA a/k/a 'Pop,' was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for his participation in a murder-for-hire plot directed by the Government of Iran targeting Masih Alinejad, a journalist, author, and human rights activist," said the Justice Department. "RIVERA previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and one count of conspiracy to commit stalking before U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman, who imposed today's sentence."

"During their efforts to locate and kill Ms. Alinejad," said the Justice Department, "RIVERA and his co-conspirators shared messages about their progress and photographs relating to their murder plot. For example, in or about February 2024, RIVERA and LOADHOLT messaged about an incoming payment from SHAKERI, and then traveled to Fairfield University, where Mr. Alinejad was scheduled to appear, and took photographs on campus."

"In January 2026," said the Justice Department, "LOADHOLT pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit stalking and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering."

"SHAKERI," the Justice Department said in this January release, "remains at large."

When Secretary of War Pete Hegseth held a press conference on March 4 — the fifth day of Operation Epic Fury against Iran — he seemed to make an announcement about him (without using his name). "Yesterday," said Hegseth, "the leader of the unit who attempted to assassinate President Trump has been hunted down and killed. Iran tried to kill President Trump, and President Trump go the last laugh."

A reporter then asked Hegseth for more information about this.

"We've known for a long time," said Hegseth, "that Iran had intentions on trying to kill President Trump and/or other U.S. officials ... 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. It wasn't the beginning of the effort. We were focused on missiles and launchers, and that's the focus."

On May 15, the Justice Department announced the arrest of Mohammed Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, an Iraqi citizen and alleged Iranian-backed terrorist.

"Al-SAADI was charged by Complaint with six counts of terrorism-related offenses for his activities as an operative of Kata'ib Hizballah and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps," said the Justice Department release.

This man was "transferred into U.S. custody overseas, and transported to the United States," said the Justice Department.

"As alleged," said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg in the department's press release, "Al-Saadi coordinated a wave of attacks across Europe, including bombings, arson, and assaults targeting American communities and interests. The complaint further alleges that Al-Saadi discussed attacking locations in New York, California, and Arizona and presented a serious threat to our national security."

Iran not only needs to be permanently stopped from possessing a nuclear weapon, it also needs to be permanently stopped from promoting terrorist attacks against the American people.

To find out more about Terence P. Jeffrey and read features by other Creators writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators webpage at www.creators.com.

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