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Iran reportedly tried to assassinate former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in 2022 at a hotel in Paris, narrowly failing, according to a forthcoming book titled "2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America".
The report, covered by The Washington Post, detailed how reported threats from Iran shaped the security protocols of US President Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign.
According to the authors—Josh Dawsey, Tyler Pager, and Isaac Arnsdorf—the security environment surrounding US President Donald Trump's 2024 campaign was significantly influenced by alleged foreign threats, particularly those linked to Iran.
The report states that intelligence briefings in September 2024 indicated the presence of Iranian hit teams on U.S. soil.
In response to these threats, the Trump campaign reportedly adopted precautionary measures, such as decoy travel plans and increased security at Mar-a-Lago.
The reported attempt on Pompeo was one of several threats outlined in the book. In his 2023 memoir Never Give an Inch, Pompeo wrote that he had been the target of a separate plot allegedly involving the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
That plan reportedly included an offer of $1 million to hire a contract assassin.
Additional incidents involving former National Security Adviser John Bolton and Iranian dissidents have been publicly documented. In 2022, U.S. authorities arrested an individual accused of plotting to kill Bolton. Authorities have not publicly confirmed direct Iranian links in other recent incidents.
Following the 2020 U.S. drone strike that killed Iranian Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani, U.S. officials noted an increase in retaliatory threats. The book states that the Trump campaign adjusted its security protocols accordingly.
Mar-a-Lago reportedly became a high-security site, and the campaign incorporated new risk management practices, including alternative aircraft and surveillance countermeasures.
The Secret Service reportedly expressed concerns over the safety of Trump’s private jet and advised changes in travel behavior. The campaign also coordinated closely with local authorities during public appearances, according to the account.
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