Got him before he got me: Trump

Two days after Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in US-Israeli airstrikes, President Donald Trump claimed that Khamenei had attempted to have him assassinated twice. Trump said he struck first, reports ABC News.

The comments were made during a call with Jonathan Karl, ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent, on Sunday evening (March 1).

Karl posted on X (formerly Twitter) that Trump said: “I got him before he got me. They tried twice. Well, I got him first.” US intelligence had previously assessed a plot by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards to target Trump in 2024.

On his social media platform Truth Social, Trump described Khamenei as “one of the most evil people in history” and hailed his death as justice for the Iranian people, Americans, and citizens worldwide who suffered under Khamenei’s rule.

He added that Khamenei and other targeted leaders “were unable to avoid our intelligence and highly sophisticated tracking systems,” working in coordination with Israel.

Trump called the strike a “single greatest chance” for the Iranian people to reclaim their country and urged citizens to rise against the regime.

In 2024, Trump faced two alleged assassination attempts. In July, he was shot in the ear during a Pennsylvania rally, and in September, a man was arrested for aiming a rifle at him while he was golfing in West Palm Beach.

Separately, Farhad Shakeri, an Afghan national deported from the US in 2008, was charged for an alleged plot by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards to assassinate Trump. The Justice Department described Shakeri as an “Iranian asset” tasked with executing the plot. Shakeri reportedly told authorities he did not intend to complete the plan within the timeframe set by the IRGC. Iran has denied involvement.