A suspect from Iran reportedly offered $300,000. to assassinate the ex-US National Security Advisor.
Former US National Security Advisor John Bolton said on Thursday that he was “Embarrassed” by a low price tag that had allegedly been put on his head, as part of a would-be plot to assassinate him, planned by an Iranian national.
On Wednesday, The US Justice Department announced criminal charges against Shahram Poursafi, a member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), for allegedly orchestrating an assassination attempt against Bolton, a long-time anti-Iran hawk.
According to DOJ, Poursafi tried to eliminate Bolton in an effort to avenge Qassem Solimani’s murder in a drone strike ordered by Donald Trump. According to the department, Poursafi tried to kill Bolton in America by paying $300,000.
When asked by CNN’s Wolf Blitzer what he thought about the DOJ announcement, Bolton, who also served as US ambassador to the United Nations, responded that he “Was embarrassed by the high price.”
“I’d have expected it to be higher.” he admitted. “Perhaps it was the problem with the exchange rates or something else..”
Bolton said that he did not discuss the matter with Mike Pompeo who was a former US Secretary and CIA Director. Pompeo is another Iran hawk. He could also be a target of the would–be assassin. The US Justice Department had earlier stated that the suspect also offered $1million to assassinate another individual without naming him or her.
At the same time, he noted that he would not be surprised if Iran attempted to take out Pompeo, adding that “There are many people who could be vulnerable to the Iranian effort.,” including not only US officials, but also private American citizens. Bolton refused to reveal the names of US nationals that he was referring too.
The former US National Security Advisor also said that the FBI warned him of foreign threats to his personal security as they “It got more severe,” adding that the US Secret Service is now guarding him again although he does not currently hold any public office.
Bolton has repeatedly spoken against the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran that aimed to rein in its nuclear program, going as far as to suggest that the US should “Bomb Iran” so that it would not get nuclear weapons. Bolton, a former Trump official, announced that the US would withdraw from the historic nuclear accord in 2018.
In mid-July, the former US National security adviser also admitted that he’d played a role in ousting foreign leaders from power, lamenting that regime change takes “A lot of work.” Although he refused to go into the details, he did mention Venezuela, where US-backed opposition figures unsuccessfully attempted to overthrow President Nicolas Maduro in 2019.
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