The Iran assassination plot against Trump lacks credible evidence and appears to be manufactured justification for war
Source: Joseph Addington. "The Government’s Dubious Case That Iran Tried to Kill Trump - The American Conservative." March 7, 2026. www.theamericanconservative.com
The Gist
The author argues that the government's claim Iran tried to kill Trump is fake and based on a setup by the FBI. The evidence is weak, much of it is being kept secret, and it conveniently justifies a war that Israel wanted.
Conclusion
The government's claim that Iran tried to assassinate Trump is dubious and unsupported by credible evidence, serving as manufactured justification for military action against Iran
Premises
- The case relies entirely on Asif Merchant, who was under FBI surveillance before entering the US and whose only 'confidant' was a government informant
- The operation was a tightly controlled FBI sting where the government was both architect and sole witness to alleged criminal intent
- Merchant struggled to assemble even $5,000 and had no known Iranian co-conspirators in the United States
- Prosecutors are invoking state secrets privilege to block public and defense access to potentially exculpatory evidence
- The intelligence allegedly proving the Iranian plot came from Israel, which has clear motivations to promote war with Iran
- The timing coincides suspiciously with Trump's military action against Iran, providing retroactive justification for an unauthorized war
Assumptions
- FBI sting operations can be manufactured to create false evidence of criminal intent
- Israel has significant influence over US intelligence and foreign policy decisions
- Government secrecy around evidence suggests weakness in their case rather than legitimate national security concerns
- The burden of proof for assassination allegations should be higher, especially when used to justify military action