WASHINGTON (VINnews) — The U.S. military has killed an Iranian official who headed a unit accused of plotting to assassinate President Donald Trump, the Pentagon said Thursday.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the operation took place Tuesday, though he noted that the Iranian official was not the original focus of the U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran. He said the target was added to the list once identified. “The leader of the unit who tried to kill President Trump has been taken out,” Hegseth said.

The alleged assassination attempt dates to 2024, when U.S. authorities charged an Iranian man tied to the Revolutionary Guard Corps. Iran has denied involvement in targeting Trump or other American officials.

Trump referenced the plot in a recent interview, highlighting a joint U.S.-Israeli operation that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. “I got him before he got me,” the president said.

Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said U.S. forces have made steady progress in the conflict. He reported a sharp decline in Iranian missile launches and drone attacks since the first day of fighting and said strikes are expanding deeper into Iranian territory to give U.S. forces greater operational flexibility.