The Footprint of a Crime

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has intensified his rhetoric against former U.S. President Donald Trump, posting a provocative image on his official website with the caption "Revenge is inevitable." This comes in the wake of comments from Brigadier General Hossein Hajizadeh of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, who expressed a desire to kill Trump and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. While there is no direct evidence linking Khamenei's threats to a recent assassination attempt on a former European official, the Iranian regime's history of using terrorism as a tool for political coercion is well-documented. The failed assassination attempt on Alejo Vidal-Quadras, a former Vice-President of the European Parliament, has drawn attention to Iran's tactics. Despite being shot, Vidal-Quadras managed to inform authorities that the Iranian regime was behind the attack. Investigations revealed that the assailant, a French national, was hired for the job, and a recent arrest in the Netherlands of an Iranian woman accused of financing the plot underscores the regime's reliance on criminal organizations for such operations. Domestically, Khamenei faces significant challenges, as evidenced by the dismal voter turnout in recent presidential elections, estimated at only 10%. This reflects widespread public discontent and a growing resistance movement within Iran. At a recent Republican Party convention, U.N. Ambassador and presidential candidate highlighted the Iranian regime's role in regional instability, while former Vice President Mike Pence emphasized the resilience of the Iranian resistance and the potential for change through a proposed Ten-Point Plan for a more equitable future.