US charges member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard for plotting to murder John Bolton

The Department of Justice said Wednesday that it had charged a 45-year-old Iranian national who’s a member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for plotting to murder former National Security Advisor John Bolton. 

The DOJ said that Shahram Poursafi, who also goes by the name Mehdi Rezayi,  attempted to pay individuals in the United States $300,000 to carry out the murder in Washington, D.C. or Maryland. 

The plot was likely in retaliation for the January 2020 killing of Qasem Soleimani, the leader of the Quds Force, a division of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps. 

Former President Donald Trump ordered the airstrike that killed Soleimani, which took place outside the Baghdad airport in Iraq, while Bolton was serving as his national security adviser. 

Bolton cheered the death of Soleimani at the time. 

‘Congratulations to all involved in eliminating Qassem Soleimani. Long in the making, this was a decisive blow against Iran’s malign Quds Force activities worldwide,’ Bolton said. ‘Hope this is the first step to regime change in Tehran.’ 

Bolton thanked U.S. authorities Wednesday after the plot was publicized.  

‘I wish to thank the Justice Dept for initiating the criminal proceeding unsealed today; the FBI for its diligence in discovering and tracking the Iranian regime’s criminal threat to American citizens; and the Secret Service for providing protection against Tehran’s efforts,’ the former national security adviser tweeted. 

Poursafi was charged with ‘use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire and with providing and attempting to provide material support to a transnational murder plot,’ the DOJ said. 

In October, Poursafi reached out to an ‘Individual A,’ a U.S. resident who the Iranian had previously met online, and asked the individual to take photographs of Bolton. 

Poursafi claimed that the photographs were for a book he was writing. 

The individual told Poursafi he could introduce him to another person who could take the photographs for a fee of between $5,000 and $10,000. 

Individual A later introduced Poursafi to a person referred to in court documents as ‘confidential human source’ or ‘CHS.’ 

On November 9, 2021, Poursafi contacted CHS using an encrypted messaging app and directed the individual to another encrypted app for further communication. 

Poursafi then offered the individual $250,000 to hire someone to ‘eliminate’ Bolton. 

The amount was later negotiated to $300,000. 

Poursafi added that there would be an additional ‘job’ and he would be willing to pay $1 million. 

A July intelligence report from the National Counter Terrorism Center said that Iran may be plotting to assassinate top former United States officials over Soleimani’s death, including Trump, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former CENTCOM Commander General Kenneth McKenzie. 

Poursafi told the CHS to open a cryptocurrency currency for payment, but told the individual he or she wouldn’t be paid until the murder was carried out. 

Poursafi also warned his ‘group’ would be angry if the individual was paid and the Bolton wasn’t murdered. 

He never denied being a part of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force. 

On November 14, 2021, CHS asked Poursafi for help locating Bolton. 

Poursafi subsequently gave the individual Bolton’s work address in Washington and provided CHS with screenshots of a street view of the building – which said it was ‘10,162 km away’ from Poursafi’s location, the distance between D.C. and Tehran. 

Five days later, Poursafi told CHS that it didn’t matter how the murder was carried out, but his ‘group’ would require video confirmation of Bolton’s death. 

CHS asked what would happen if the killing was attributed to Iran. 

Poursafi told CHS not to worry and that his ‘group’ would take care of it.  

He also advised CHS to talk about the murder plot in construction terms. 

‘For example, when the CHS asked Poursafi to specify how the murder was to be carried out, Poursafi told the CHS that he only asked the CHS to build a structure, but the method of construction was up to the CHS,’ the DOJ said. 

Through December and January, Poursafi urged CHS to complete the task. 

On December 22, he sent a photograph of the individual’s name and a stack of money. 

On December 29, Poursafi asked CHS when the murder would be carried out, explaining his ‘group’ wanted it done quickly. 

On January 3, Poursafi said ‘his people’ were eager to see it done. 

CHS responded and asked how many people were involved, with Poursafi replying that he only had to report to one person, but there was a chain of command to whom his superior reported. 

Poursafi also expressed regret that the assassination wouldn’t be carried out in time to mark the anniversary of Soleimani’s death.

Soleimani was killed on January 3.  

Poursafi also warned CHS if the murder wasn’t carried out soon, the job would be taken away from them. 

Poursafi also told CHS that if he or she used a ‘small weapon’ he or she would have to get close to the target, but a ‘large weapon’ could be used, so the individual could stay further away. 

On January 18, the two individuals had a back-and-forth about whether Bolton was traveling outside of Washington, D.C., during the time Poursafi wanted CHS to carry out the murder. 

Poursafi told CHS that he needed to ‘check something,’ and within the hour determined that Bolton wasn’t traveling at that time. 

He then provided CHS with details about Bolton’s schedule that appeared to not be publicly available. 

Three days later, Poursafi told CHS that after successful completion of the first ‘job’ a second job was available to CHS. 

Poursafi revealed that surveillance of the second target was complete, explaining that the information was gathered ‘from the United States’ and ‘not Google,’ an indication that the Iranians had an American source on the ground.   

On February 1, Poursafi told CHS that if he or she didn’t eliminate the target within two weeks, the job would be taken away. 

Poursafi also informed the individual that someone checked the area around Bolton’s home and found a security detail wasn’t present – so CHS should be able to ‘finish the job,’ the DOJ said. 

The job was never completed. 

In March, Poursafi and CHS’s communication seemed to reveal that the Bolton job had been taken away from them. 

Poursafi told CHS he had another assassination job for CHS, encouraging the individual to take the offer and if it was done successfully, the ‘group’ would allow them to go after Bolton again.  

In later April, CHS said he would no longer do work for Poursafi without being paid. 

Poursafi sent the individual two payments that equaled $100. 

The DOJ said that if Poursafi is convicted he faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for the use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire. 

The second charge, attempting to provide material support to a transnational murder plot, could equal 15 years in prison and fine up to $250,000. 

Poursafi remains at-large abroad.