DOJ: Iranian operative charged in plot to assassinate U.S. national security advisor John Bolton

Shahram Poursafi, an Iranian operative, has been charged in a plot to murder former U.S. national security adviser John Bolton in retaliation for a U.S. airstrike that killed the country’s most powerful general, the Justice Department said Wednesday.

Poursafi is currently wanted by the FBI on charges related to the murder-for-hire plot. According to the Justice Department, Poursafi offered to “eliminate” Bolton for $300,000.

This is not the first time that Bolton has been targeted for assassination by Iran. In 2015, he was reportedly on an Iranian hit list along with dozens of other American and Israeli officials.

Bolton has been a vocal critic of the Iranian regime and has advocated for military action against the country. He played a key role in President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal and to impose harsh economic sanctions on the country.

The news of Poursafi’s plot comes as tensions between the U.S. and Iran are high following the killing of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in a U.S. drone strike last month. Soleimani’s death has been called an act of war by Iran, and the country has vowed to retaliate.

The U.S. has since beefed up its military presence in the region and put American troops on high alert amid fears of an imminent Iranian attack.

So far, there has been no comment from Bolton on the latest plot against his life.