TEHRAN — Iran has strongly rejected allegations that it was involved in a plot to assassinate former and current US officials, including President-elect Donald Trump, calling the claims “completely unfounded.”

In a statement issued on Saturday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei dismissed the accusations made by the US Department of Justice following the arrest of a suspect.

Baghaei referred to the allegations as a “repulsive conspiracy” orchestrated by Israel and anti-Iranian factions aimed at further complicating relations between the US and Iran.

The US Department of Justice filed criminal charges against a 51-year-old Afghan national, Farhad Shaker, who is accused of being tasked by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to surveil and plot the assassination of former and current US government officials, including Trump.

The indictment claims Shaker sought to assassinate Trump before the US presidential election.

Baghaei vehemently denied the allegations, stating that Iran would employ "all legitimate and legal means, both domestically and internationally, to defend the rights of the Iranian nation."

The statement comes shortly after Trump’s election as US president, with concerns rising that his close ties with Israel could exacerbate tensions between Tehran and Washington.

Trump's previous presidency was marked by a confrontational approach toward Iran, notably withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018.

The assassination of Iran’s top military commander, Gen. Qassem Soleimani, in January 2020, brought the two countries to the brink of direct military conflict.

Earlier this week, Iran’s government spokeswoman downplayed the significance of the US election result, stating that the identity of the US president “does not matter” to Iran. Fatemeh Mohajerani, speaking after a Cabinet meeting in Tehran, confirmed that Iran’s overall policies remain unchanged. — Agencies