US takes out high-profile target tied to Trump assassination plot

WASHINGTON – The United States announced on Wednesday that it has killed an Iranian official who led a unit accused of plotting to assassinate former President Donald Trump, even as officials stressed that the individual was not the original focus of the ongoing military campaign against Tehran.

“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 got the last laugh,” US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters during a Pentagon briefing.

Hegseth clarified that the operation targeting the alleged plotter, which took place on Tuesday, had been added to the broader list of military objectives as US forces pressed their campaign inside Iranian territory.

“While that was not the focus of the effort by any stretch of the imagination … we ensured that those responsible were eventually part of the target list,” he said.

The operation follows 2024 US Justice Department charges against an Iranian national in connection with an alleged assassination plot directed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) against Trump while he was president-elect. Tehran has repeatedly denied involvement in any such plot against US officials.

The conflict, now entering its second week, has seen a measurable decline in Iranian missile launches, a sign, US generals say, of the degradation of Tehran’s military capabilities.

“We will now begin to expand inland, striking progressively deeper into Iranian territory and creating additional freedom of manoeuvre for US forces,” said General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, speaking at the Pentagon.

Hegseth characterised the US campaign as successful, even as he confirmed six American service members have been killed. “We are winning this war, and we will outlast Iran,” he said.

In a striking display of US military reach, Hegseth announced that an American submarine had sunk an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka, describing it as the first torpedo sinking of an enemy ship by the US since World War Two.

“An Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters was instead sunk by a torpedo. Quiet death,” he said, highlighting the operation’s precision and strategic impact.

As the US expands its strikes further inland, officials stress that the campaign is designed to systematically degrade Iran’s offensive capabilities while minimising risk to American troops and regional allies.

The combination of targeted operations against high-profile individuals and strategic assets underscores Washington’s message: Iran will face consequences for any aggression against the United States or its partners.

The latest developments mark a significant escalation in the US-led campaign, which began after Iranian forces launched attacks on US and allied interests in response to prior strikes.

Analysts say the removal of high-value targets, coupled with the sinking of naval assets, signals a more comprehensive approach aimed at crippling Iran’s military reach and deterring further retaliation.