Iranian Regime Mouthpiece 'Kayhan' To Iranian President: 'Mr. Pezeshkian, Iran Has Planned, And Is Planning, To Assassinate Trump'

In an NBC interview published January 14, 2025. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian denied any Iranian plot to assassinate President Trump in retaliation for the January 2020 killing of IRGC Qods Force commander Qassem Soleimani, saying that "Iran has never attempted to nor does it plan to assassinate anyone. At least as far as I know." Asked by interviewer Lester Holt, "You're saying there was never an Iranian plot to kill Donald Trump?" Pezeshkian replied, "None whatsoever." Asked whether Iran could promise that there will be no Iranian assassination attempts against Trump in the future, Pezeshkian said, "We have never attempted this to begin with, and we never will." [1]

The following day, the regime mouthpiece Kayhan denied Pezeshkian's statements, calling them "bizarre" and explaining to him that the Iranian regime's policy had always been, and remains, to exact revenge for the killing of Soleimani, who was No. 2 in the regime hierarchy and was considered by the regime to be a "national  hero." Kayhan went on to remind Pezeshkian that vengeance against the Americans responsible for Soleimani's killing was the policy set out by Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

It will be recalled that on November 7, 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice charged Farhad Shakeri, an Afghan national living in Tehran, in a murder-for-hire plot to assassinate Trump. The plot, according to U.S. authorities, was part of the Iranian government's ongoing attempts "to target our citizens, including President-elect Trump, on U.S. soil and abroad." Then-FBI director Christopher Wray said at the time: "The charges announced today expose Iran's continued brazen attempts to target U.S. citizens, including President-elect Donald J. Trump." U.S. authorities have also said that this plot was part of Iran's efforts to avenge IRGC Qods Force commander Qassem Soleimani, killed in Baghdad in January 2020 in a U.S. drone strike ordered by then-President Trump.[2] (See Appendix: MEMRI Reports And Clips On Iranian Regime Threats To Assassinate President Trump.)

Below are the main points of Kayhan statements about the Iranian regime's policy of revenge operations against President Trump:

"Khamenei Said... ''There Must Be Vengeance Against Soleimani's Murderer And The Ones Responsible For This Assassination, And This Is Assured" – Kayhan, January 16, 2025

Criticizing the moderate message that President Pezeshkian sought to convey to the U.S. a few days before Donald Trump's inauguration, and attributing this message to Pezeshkian's inexperience in foreign policy, Kayhan's January 16 editorial rebuked him and reminded him that Iran's policy vis-à-vis the U.S., and particularly regarding the killing of Soleimani, was determined by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. It stated:

"In an NBC interview, [President] Masoud Pezeshkian replied to the correspondent's question about punishing Trump from a thought-provoking position, [saying]: 'From the outset, we have never had any intention [of avenging Soleimani's killing] and we never will [have such an intention].' This bizarre position completely contradicts the statements and explicit position of the Supreme Leader with regard to punishment and vengeance against the perpetrators and commanders of the Soleimani killing, and contradicts the state's official policy vis-à-vis Trump...

"This bizarre position on the part of Pezeshkian was stated even though Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said, in his December 16, 2020 speech in this context, that 'there must be vengeance against Soleimani's murderer and the ones responsible for this assassination, and this is assured. A beloved man has said that Soleimani's shoe was more precious than the head of his murderer. They [the U.S.] made a mistake and must pay for it. Both of the ones who ordered [the assassination], and the murderer, must know that when [we] are able to do this, and we are looking for the possible time [to do this], they must pay [for it].'

"[Khamenei]  reiterated this position on November 2, 2022 [at a ceremony marking the anniversary of the 1979 takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran], saying: 'We will never forget Soleimani's martyrdom. They [Trump and his team] must know this. We have already said something about this, and we stand by our word. [Vengeance for Soleimani] will be carried out at its own time and place, with God's help.'

"[Pezeshkian's] reiteration of such [moderate] positions, as was seen at his press conference in August 2024, as well as the thought-provoking positions he expressed [to NBC] in New York, and the many positive signals sent by him and some of his staff with regard to America and the West recently, have not only not led to the smallest positive response [from the U.S.] or to [actual] moves, but to the opposite. In all cases, [these positions led] to a ruder response.

"All the distinguished president [Pezeshkian] need do is to look at the list of American sanctions levied on his government in recent months, and review in general the Democratic political positions of the Biden administration and [those of] Trump's cabinet in order to understand the clear position of the last and the future U.S. administrations vis-à-vis our country.

Pezeshkian (Source: Tasnim, Iran, January 15, 2025)

"The president's thought-provoking position was notable, while the anti-Iran organization United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) – which has played an ongoing and important role in America's hostile operations against our country in the various Democratic and Republican administrations – has compiled a lengthy list of hostile actions against our country, in a seven-page report titled 'A 100 Day Plan For The Incoming Trump Administration On Iran.'[3] What is important is that this organization is run with the financial support of Miriam Adelson, the widow of Sheldon Adelson, as the second-largest financier of Trump's 2024 election campaign, and [with the support] of other investors close to him, as well as many American Democratic and Republican politicians. There are also Zionist intelligence elements in this organization, and supporting it, and this has had a tremendous influence on America's anti-Iran policy.

"The president's most recent position regarding the issue of punishment for the perpetrators of the cruel murder of the martyr Soleimani was expressed while earlier, and during the election campaigns, an inappropriate word choice caused by Pezeshkian's carelessness regarding Iran's national hero, the martyr Soleimani, led to widespread criticism. Although Pezeshkian clarified and rectified this misunderstanding during the next debate, reiterating positions such as Iran's lack of determination to punish the perpetrators and planners of the assassination of the martyr Soleimani – i.e. Donald Trump and the other American criminal leaders [in office] at the time of his killing – intensifies the concerns that already exist regarding the influence of incompetent advisers with a failed record in the JCPOA [alluding to Iranian foreign ministry officials who are now calling for dialogue with the U.S.]."[4]

"Mr. Pezeshkian... We Consider Trump And Some Of His Colleagues, Including Mike Pompeo, Secretary Of State In The Trump Administration, To Be The Murderers Of Soleimani And His Comrades; Vengeance Against Them Is The Religious And Legal Duty Of Every Fervent Iranian And Muslim – Therefore, It Is Your duty As An Iranian And A Fervent Muslim To Implement This Divine Commandment And Not Negotiate With The Killer Of The Martyr Soleimani" – Kayhan, January 16, 2025

In another January 16, 2025 article, Kayhan harshly criticized Pezeshkian for "forgetting America's hostility" toward the Iranian regime, and stated that "he does not care about the country or the interests of the people, because he said that Iran had no plans to kill Trump following the killing of Soleimani." It added that Trump is a murderer who must pay the price.

The following are the main points of the article:

"In an interview with the American channel NBC, President Pezeshkian said, 'In principle, Iran is willing to talk to the second Trump administration!' It should be said, forgivingly: Mr. Pezeshkian, are you not an Iranian citizen?! You are the president of Iran, and you have been placed in charge of the country's executive branch for four years. This [office is placed in your hands] as a 'deposit.' The apparatus for using this deposit, and the scope of your authorities, are clearly defined in the law, and your excellency must operate within the framework of the aforementioned rules. Thus, your statements in an interview with the American network NBC are, first of all, outside the scope of your authority. Secondly, for the reasons that we mention, they completely contradict our country's national interests. Thirdly, they are a message of humiliation before the sworn enemy of Islamic Iran – an enemy that has never refrained from committing any crime against the Iranian people.

"Your excellency said in his interview that 'Iran never intended to murder Trump!' If only you had asked the NBC reporter what Trump did that makes him worry about him being assassinated?! In this case, the reporter would have been forced to acknowledge Trump's murder of Soleimani and his comrades, and then you could have, and should have, asked: 'Isn't death the minimum punishment for the murderer of the most prominent and effective figure in the fight against terrorism?!' [Also in the interview,] you should have mentioned Trump's statements in televised [presidential] candidate debates with Hillary Clinton, when he stressed that the ISIS terrorist group was created by America, and asked whether ISIS was destroyed by the martyr Soleimani. Why did you let an NBC reporter blame Iran, instead of America?! We are not terrorists – but we consider Trump and some of his colleagues, including Mike Pompeo, secretary of state in the Trump administration, to be the murderers of Soleimani and his comrades. Vengeance against them is the religious and legal duty of every fervent Iranian and Muslim; therefore, it is your duty as an Iranian and a fervent Muslim to implement this divine commandment and not negotiate with the killer of the martyr Soleimani."[5]

"Trump Can Come To Tehran... Only For Punishment For Soleimani's Killing, According To The Principle Of 'An Eye For An Eye' – Kayhan, January 20, 2025

On January 20, 2025, Kayhan responded to articles in the U.S. media stating that President-elect Trump, whose inauguration would be the following day, would be the one to turn over a new leaf in U.S.-Iran relations, as President Nixon did with China in 1972. It clarified: "Trump can come to Tehran or be brought to it only for punishment for Soleimani's killing, according to the principle of 'an eye for an eye.'"[6]

Majlis National Security Committee Member Dr. Mojtaba Zaraee: "The Portfolio Of Vengeance For The Blood Of Hajj Qassem [Soleimani] Will Never Be Put Away; It Remains Top Priority And On The Table; This Is The Regime's Policy"

In a February 5, 2025 post on the state-controlled Iranian social media platform Eitaa, Majlis National Security Council member Dr. Mojtaba Zaraee promised to take personal vengeance against Trump for Soleimani's killing, despite Trump's warning to Iran the previous day that "if they assassinate me, they will be obliterated."[7] He too underlined the obligation to assassinate Trump for Soleimani's killing. The post included photos of the assassination attempt against Trump in Pennsylvania in July 2024. Addressing Trump, he wrote:

"First of all, the American people alone are enough to kill you, and, God be praised, the supporters of freedom in America are already standing in line [to do so]. So far, they have tried several times to get near you and put an end to your filthy life, and this blessed effort continues in various states across America.

"Second, oh idiot, as civilized Iranians, our activity is not aimed at killing you, but at vengeance and at repaying criminals and terrorists measure for measure."[8]

Eitaa post by Dr. Mojtaba Zaraee, February 5, 2025

"Third, as a member of the National Security Committee, and based on rational, national, religious, political, and security principles, I say to you that the portfolio of vengeance for the blood of Hajj Qassem [Soleimani] will never be put away. It remains top priority and on the table. This is the regime's policy. Iran is not Panama, Mexico, Canada, Europe, Denmark, Egypt, or Jordan, which tolerate your nonsense! Iran's overall policy will not change because of [your] gambling stunts.

"Fourth, I tell you that personally, any chance I get, I will not hesitate for a moment to kill you. Remember this: I am a political element who speaks diplomatically, while the Iranian masses wait for the moment when they can send the murderer and perpetrator of the murder of the most important anti-terrorist figure in the world [i.e. Soleimani] to hell gloriously in a manner befitting the honor of Hajj Qassem, inshallah!"

Analyst Mustafa Khoshcheshm: "From The First Day, A Price Was Set On Trump's Head... I Remember Some Officials Talking About Killing Him"

In a television interview that aired January 15, 2025, senior analyst for international affairs Mustafa Khoshcheshm called Trump Soleimani's murderer and said that the Iranian regime had set a price on his head. He also protested against the Pezeshkian government's interest in negotiating with Soleimani's killer.

He said in the interview: "On day one [after Soleimani's killing], you put a price on Trump's head. Now 'our friends' say that they did not talk about killing him, although I do remember several officials talking about killing him."

To view this clip on MEMRI TV, click here or below:

Appendix: MEMRI Reports And Clips On Iranian Regime Threats To Assassinate President Trump

Special Dispatch No. 11783, While Iranian President Pezeshkian Claims Iran 'Never' Plotted Trump Assassination And 'Never Will,' Iranian Regime Mouthpiece 'Kayhan' Declared That 'There Is No Guarantee' Trump Is Safe From Punishment For Soleimani's Killing And U.S. Authorities Charged A Suspect In Iranian Trump Assassination Plot, January 15, 2025.

Special Dispatch No. 11717, Despite Iranian Foreign Ministry's Denials, Regime Mouthpiece Outlet 'Kayhan' Writes: Punishing The Murderers Of IRGC Qods Force Commander Qasem Soleimani Is Still On The Table; There Is No Guarantee That Trump Is Safe From Punishment, December 6, 2024.

MEMRI TV Clip No. 11542, Iranian Politician Hossein Kanani Moghaddam On Trump's Re-Election: The Sword Of Revenge For Qassem Soleimani Will Continue To Hover Over Trump's Head, November 6, 2024.

Special Dispatch No. 11665, Reactions In Iran To Trump's Election Victory: 'The Return Of The Murderer'; 'The Sword Of Vengeance… Hovers Above Trump's Head'; 'America – The Great Satan'; 'Iran And The Resistance Axis Are Ready', November 8, 2024.

Special Dispatch No. 11454, Since The U.S.'s January 2020 Killing Of IRGC Qods Force Commander Qassem Soleimani, Iranian Regime Officials Have Reiterated Their Intent To Assassinate Trump In Retribution – But Today, Iran Denies Any Connection To The July 13 Assassination Attempt Against Him, July 17, 20204.

Special Dispatch No. 8960, 'Kayhan' Editor Shariatmadari To Trump: The IRGC Will Take Revenge Against You Personally For Your Involvement In Killing Of Qods Force Commander Soleimani, October 8, 2020.