The US received intelligence in recent weeks about a plot by Iran to try to assassinate former president Donald Trump, American news organisations reported on Tuesday.
"We have been tracking Iranian threats against former Trump administration officials for years, dating back to the last administration," National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said in a statement.
"These threats arise from Iran's desire to seek revenge for the killing of Qassem Suleimani. We consider this a national and homeland security matter of the highest priority."
Suleimani, head of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' foreign operations, was assassinated in a US drone attack near Baghdad International Airport early in 2020.
There was no indication that the 20-year-old suspect in the shooting of Mr Trump on Saturday, Thomas Mathew Crooks, was connected to the plot, Ms Watson said of the continuing investigation.
The US Secret Service and the Trump campaign were made aware of the plot before Saturday's rally, a national security official told CNN, which first reported the news.
"We are ... consistently in touch with the agencies overseeing the security details of these former officials to share evolving threat information on a timely basis and to reinforce President [Joe] Biden's directive that they receive every resource, capability and protective measure required to address those evolving threats," Ms Watson said.
The agency has come under scrutiny in recent days after the suspected gunman gained access to a roof and fired directly at Mr Trump, grazing his ear, killing a rallygoer and critically injuring two others.
Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said at the weekend that the "US Secret Service quickly responded with protective measures".
The agency's director, Kimberly Cheatle, will testify on the shooting at a House of Representatives oversight committee hearing next Monday.
Ms Watson said the Secret Service and Homeland Security Department would brief about "additional measures that have been implemented in recent weeks".
Mr Guglielmi told CNN that the agency had recently “added protective resources and capabilities to the former president’s security detail”.
The Secret Service did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The National.
Iran has been charged with trying to attack Mr Trump's former national security adviser John Bolton and former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo in assassination plots.
NBC News says they continue to have security details due to the threats.
The US in January imposed sanctions on a network of people linked to the Iranian government for their alleged involvement in assassination attempts against dissidents and opposition activists abroad.
The network is believed to have carried out several assassinations, kidnappings and other operations – including in the US – “in an attempt to silence the Iranian regime's perceived critics”.
"These accusations are unsubstantiated and malicious," Iran's mission to the UN told The National, adding that Tehran regards Mr Trump as a criminal for his involvement in the assassination of Suleimani.
"Iran has chosen the legal path to bring him to justice," the mission said.
Mr Trump had a contentious relationship with Iran while in office.
In 2018 he withdrew the US from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which provided sanctions relief in return for restrictions on Tehran's nuclear programme.
After the US withdrawal, he began a “maximum pressure” campaign of sanctions against Iran.
Adla Massoud contributed to this report from the UN
Company profile
Name: Tratok Portal
Founded: 2017
Based: UAE
Sector: Travel & tourism
Size: 36 employees
Funding: Privately funded
Gifts exchanged
- King Charles - replica of President Eisenhower Sword
- Queen Camilla - Tiffany & Co vintage 18-carat gold, diamond and ruby flower brooch
- Donald Trump - hand-bound leather book with Declaration of Independence
- Melania Trump - personalised Anya Hindmarch handbag
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House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Westminster, London
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Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
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Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
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The Gandhi Murder
- 71 - Years since the death of MK Gandhi, also christened India's Father of the Nation
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Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
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Watford v Leicester City (3.30pm)
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
