Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian denied allegations that his government plotted to assassinate U.S. President Donald Trump during a press briefing in New York on Monday, September 28, 2026. Speaking at the Millennium Hilton Hotel near United Nations headquarters, Pezeshkian maintained that Tehran has never sought to harm Trump or his family, directly addressing accusations that have strained U.S.-Iran relations.
Iranian Leadership Denies Assassination Plots
Pezeshkian told a group of reporters that it has never been the position of the Iranian government, either publicly or covertly, to target Donald Trump or members of his family. The denial followed remarks from White House Press Secretary Anna Kelly, who pointed to the regime’s history of regional aggression and stated that President Trump is committed to preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. U.S. federal prosecutors previously announced indictments in late 2024 regarding an alleged Iranian assassination plot that authorities claimed to intercept before the presidential election. Secret Service acknowledged a state-media video from Iran that appeared to reference Barron Trump, the president’s youngest son, prompting allegations from Israeli intelligence that Tehran devised targeted threats.
Conflicting Claims Over Security Threats and Regional Narratives
Tehran pushed back sharply against the accusations surrounding the president’s family. Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, characterized the reports regarding a plot against Barron Trump as fabricated propaganda designed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Rezaei asserted through state media that the allegations were engineered to mislead and intimidate the U.S. administration. Meanwhile, U.S. officials and intelligence reports continue to treat the security environment surrounding former and current officials with high caution, citing hardline media broadcasts inside Iran that frequently feature hostile rhetoric directed at Trump.
Assessment of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei
During the same New York briefing, Pezeshkian addressed questions regarding the health of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. Pezeshkian reported that he met with the Supreme Leader face-to-face roughly a month prior for a seven-hour session, describing Khamenei as sufficiently healthy despite his minimal public appearances since the onset of the conflict. U.S. intelligence assessments from May indicated that despite sustaining injuries earlier in the hostilities, Khamenei continues to direct military strategy alongside senior Iranian officials.
Diplomatic Breakdown and Ongoing Military Hostilities
The diplomatic friction occurs against the backdrop of an active military conflict that began with joint U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran on February 28, 2026. Although an Islamabad memorandum of understanding was brokered by Pakistan and Qatar on June 18 to halt hostilities and establish a 14-point framework for negotiations, implementation stalled. Tehran accused Washington of failing to honor commitments under the agreement, leading to renewed U.S. military strikes in July and subsequent retaliatory actions by Iranian forces.