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Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced Wednesday (March 4) that the leader of an Iranian unit behind a plot to assassinate President Donald Trump has been killed, as the United States continues military operations against Iran under a campaign known as Operation Epic Fury.
"The leader of the unit that attempted to assassinate Trump has been hunted down and killed," Hegseth said during a press conference Wednesday morning.
Hegseth framed the killing as direct retribution for Iran's repeated targeting of President Trump.
"Iran tried to kill President Trump and President Trump got the last laugh," he said.
The backdrop to Wednesday's announcement stretches back years. Iran-linked actors attempted to arrange an assassination plot against President Trump in 2024, and Iran had previously threatened to retaliate against him following the 2020 U.S. killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani. In 2022, an Iranian-produced video depicted a simulated assassination attempt on Trump while he played golf.
Earlier this week, U.S. officials confirmed that the strikes on Iran â which began on Saturday (February 28) â also resulted in the death of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Hegseth struck a confident tone about the broader military campaign, saying the combination of U.S. and Israeli intelligence and combat power "will control Iran and will control it soon." He added: "America is winning decisively, devastatingly and without mercy."
The operation is ongoing, and no official timeline for its conclusion has been announced. Hegseth's comments suggest U.S. officials view the killing of the assassination unit's leader as one milestone in a larger, continuing effort.