Written by David Callahan.
A new book claims Iran had operatives inside the United States with access to surface-to-air missiles, allegedly planning to assassinate Donald Trump. While this sounds like something out of a Hollywood thriller, there’s no real evidence backing it up.
No official U.S. government report has confirmed an actual plot. Sure, a Pakistani man tied to Iran was arrested last summer for supposedly hiring an FBI informant to carry out a hit, and another Iranian told the FBI that Tehran had a plan in motion. But these cases don’t prove there was an imminent threat.
That hasn’t stopped journalist Alex Isenstadt from making big claims. In his book Revenge: The Inside Story of Trump’s Return to Power, he alleges that law enforcement warned Trump about Iranian operatives in the U.S. with missiles capable of taking down his private jet, Trump Force One.
Did Trump’s Team Take the Threat Seriously?
According to Isenstadt, Trump’s security was so concerned they arranged for him to fly on a decoy plane owned by Steve Witkoff, a businessman now serving as Trump’s Middle East envoy. Meanwhile, Trump Force One still flew with campaign staff onboard, including co-campaign manager Chris LaCivita. The plane swap was supposedly a security test, but it left some aides uneasy.
LaCivita allegedly told those on the plane, “The boss ain’t riding with us today,” making it clear that Trump was kept away from any potential danger. But if this threat was real, why would staffers still be put on Trump Force One? Some of them wondered the same thing.
The atmosphere on the plane was reportedly tense, filled with dark humor as aides processed the situation. One staffer reportedly summed it up, saying, “This was some serious sh*t.”
Trump’s Warning to Iran
Just days before this claim surfaced, Trump issued a direct warning. If Iran made an attempt on his life, the consequences would be total destruction.
“If they did that, they would be obliterated,” he told reporters last Tuesday while signing an executive order aimed at putting maximum pressure on Tehran. “I’ve left instructions—if they do it, they get obliterated. There won’t be anything left.”
This is consistent with Trump’s stance on Iran. In 2020, he ordered the killing of Qassem Soleimani, the head of the Quds Force, a powerful arm of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. That move escalated tensions, and Tehran has been vowing revenge ever since.
Is This Just More Sensationalism?
Without real evidence, Isenstadt’s claims look more like an attempt to stir up fear than an actual revelation. Trump’s history with Iran makes it easy to believe Tehran would want revenge, but an elaborate plot involving surface-to-air missiles on U.S. soil seems like a stretch.
The book appears to lean on speculation and sensationalism rather than hard facts. Without intelligence agencies backing up this theory, it’s just another wild claim that will likely be forgotten when the next headline-grabbing story hits.
Our Take
This kind of reporting fuels paranoia and distrust without offering anything concrete. If Iran truly had operatives in the U.S. armed with missiles, the government wouldn’t just let that slide. The lack of official confirmation speaks volumes.
More broadly, this points to a troubling trend—mainstream media and political insiders pushing unverified claims to sell books and shape narratives. People deserve facts, not just dramatic storytelling. Sensationalism like this distracts from real issues, and when the truth eventually comes out, it damages trust in journalism as a whole.
