U.S. Says It Killed Iranian Leader Linked To Plot To Kill Trump
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said U.S. and Israeli forces killed an Iranian operative tied to a 2024 assassination plot against Donald Trump.
Breitbart NewsU.S. Kills Iranian Official Who Plotted 2024 Trump Assassination Attempt
New York PostMastermind of Iran plot to assassinate Trump is dead, Hegseth reveals: US ‘got the last laugh’
Military TimesMastermind of Iranian plot to assassinate Trump is dead, Hegseth claims
One America News NetworkHegseth announces killing of Iranian leader tied to Trump assassination plot: ‘Trump had the last laugh’
The Daily WireIran Regime Member Tied To Plot To Kill Trump Eliminated In ‘Operation Epic Fury’
Overview
On March 4, 2026, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said U.S. and Israeli forces hunted down and killed an Iranian operative believed to have masterminded a 2024 plot to assassinate Donald Trump.
Hegseth said the action was part of Operation Epic Fury, a U.S.-Israeli campaign that officials said included strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Feb. 28, 2026.
Court documents from November 2024 allege IRGC asset Farhad Shakeri was directed in September 2024 to surveil and ultimately assassinate Trump, and prosecutors charged associates in related murder-for-hire plots.
Joint Chiefs Chair Dan Caine said the Pentagon has hit over 2,000 targets, officials reported that roughly 48 senior Iranian officials were neutralized, and a U.S. submarine sank an Iranian warship with a Mark 48 torpedo—the first such sinking since 1945.
Hegseth said more and larger waves of strikes are coming, the U.S. will soon have complete control of Iranian airspace, and officials said the military will use 500-, 1,000- and 2,000-pound precision bombs from nearly unlimited stockpiles.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame coverage around U.S. operational success, privileging official triumphal language and casualty claims while offering limited skepticism. Editorial choices foreground defense quotes and metrics of Iranian decline; those quotes are source content, and the decision to highlight them—while omitting Iranian voices or independent verification—narrows the narrative toward U.S.-Israeli dominance.
FAQ
Operation Epic Fury is a coordinated U.S.-Israeli military campaign that commenced on February 28, 2026, at the direction of the President of the United States.[1] The operation began at 1:15 am ET with strikes targeting Iran's security apparatus, including Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps command and control facilities, air defense capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and military airfields.[1] In the first 72 hours, U.S. and Israeli forces struck over 1,700 targets, with the U.S. conducting over 900 strikes in the first 12 hours alone.[5]
Yes, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a February 28 airstrike during Operation Epic Fury.[5] After initially denying the claim, Iran state media confirmed on March 1 that Khamenei was killed.[5]
The U.S. military employed a diverse arsenal including B-2 bombers, B-1 bombers, stealth fighter jets, F/A-18 Super Hornets, F-35 fighter jets, Tomahawk cruise missiles, reconnaissance aircraft, and for the first time in combat, one-way attack drones modeled after Iran's Shahed drones.[3][5][6] CENTCOM also used precision munitions launched from air, land, and sea, along with undisclosed "special capabilities."
As of March 2, 2026, four U.S. service members have been killed in action.[7] The initial reports stated there were no U.S. casualties, but the fourth service member who was seriously wounded during Iran's initial attacks eventually succumbed to injuries.
The prioritization of Iranian naval assets was intended to eliminate threats to U.S. and allied operations in the region.[3] Strikes destroyed Iranian naval bases along the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, with CENTCOM claiming to have destroyed all 11 Iranian ships in the Gulf of Oman, including frigates from the Bayandor, Alvand, and Jamaran classes.[3] This naval destruction was part of broader operations targeting the military infrastructure that supports Iran-backed terrorist proxies including Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis.[2]
