TEHRAN – President Masoud Pezeshkian’s firm denial of Iran’s intention to assassinate Donald Trump, juxtaposed with recently surfaced claims linking Lyndon B. Johnson to the JFK assassination, prompts a significant question: does Iran know what Trump knows?

A new audio tape, purportedly revealing that Johnson, who was elected as the next President after John F. Kennedy, orchestrated the assassination of JFK, has reignited conspiracy theories surrounding one of America's most scrutinized historical events. The tape, which surfaced on social media, allegedly features Clifton Carter, a former DNC executive, admitting LBJ "hired Mac Wallace to assassinate JFK." Shared widely on multiple platforms, the tape has not been independently verified, yet it has stirred significant discussion.

The claim has added to decades of speculation that challenges the Warren Commission's conclusion that Lee Harvey Oswald was the sole assassin. Malcolm Wallace, with his criminal history and alleged ties to LBJ, has long been a figure of interest in conspiracy circles. However, evidence linking him directly to JFK's death has remained circumstantial at best.

The reaction on social media has been one of excitement, with many users viewing the tape as potential proof of government involvement. However, without authentication, it remains speculative. This development comes at a time when public interest in the JFK assassination shows no signs of waning, with each new piece of alleged evidence sparking renewed debate – interest that was significantly fueled by Trump’s repeated promises to “disclosing JFK assassination evidence upon taking the office”.

Historically, claims of "new" evidence have often been debunked or found to be exaggerated, highlighting the challenge of separating fact from fiction in the digital age. Critics argue that such tapes need rigorous scrutiny to avoid misinformation. The National Archives, responsible for JFK assassination records, has yet to comment on this tape.

This latest claim taps into the deep-seated scepticism about government transparency and the official narrative of the assassination. If proven true, it would suggest a level of corruption at the highest levels of the American government, a notion that resonates with conspiracy theorists but requires substantial proof.

Now, addressing the elephant in the room and the potential connection point between these events: who orchestrated the assassination attempt on Trump last year?

During his 2024 presidential campaign, Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt on July 13, while speaking at an open-air rally near Butler, Pennsylvania. The assailant, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, fired eight rounds from an AR-15-style rifle from a nearby building's roof, wounding Trump in his upper right ear, killing one audience member, and critically injuring two others. Crooks was subsequently shot and killed by the Secret Service's Counter Sniper Team.

In the aftermath of the assassination attempt, U.S. government officials, including those from the National Security Council and the FBI, began to investigate potential foreign connections, particularly focusing on Iran due to previous threats against Trump linked to the 2020 drone strike that killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani. However, no ties between the shooter and Iran were established. Trump, in response to these claims, publicly speculated about Iranian involvement without providing evidence, suggesting during a speech in North Carolina that if he were president, he would respond with severe military action against any country that threatened a U.S. presidential candidate. His comments were made despite the lack of evidence linking the attack to Iran, fueling further speculation and controversy. 

Surprisingly, the smoking gun was later found elsewhere: On January 1, 2025, a Tesla Cybertruck exploded in front of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas. The incident resulted in the death of one person, identified as the driver, and seven other injuries. The vehicle was found to contain fireworks, gasoline canisters, and camp fuel canisters. Authorities are investigating the explosion as a potential act of terrorism, but for many, it served as a declaration of war on conservatism by angry liberals who see all their values dismantling right before their eyes: a Jan. 6, but upside down. And what a dramatic way of demonstrating a deep dissatisfaction: blowing up Elon Musk’s symbol in front of Donald Trump’s symbol. (Other people from Trump’s camp are probably happy for not having a symbol)
A couple of weeks later, almost simultaneously with the alleged leak of the tape (it surfaced on January 14, 2025, on the platform X, formerly known as Twitter), Iranian President Pezeshkian firmly denied any intentions to assassinate Donald Trump during an interview with NBC News broadcast on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, dismissing the allegations as “another one of those schemes that Israel and other countries are designing to promote Iranophobia”. He emphasized that “Iran has never attempted to, nor does it plan to assassinate anyone.”

The pieces of the puzzle – the assassination attempt on Trump, the current government’s failure to distract the nation by blaming external forces, escalating aggressive tensions in a divided American society, the leak of the tape on a platform owned by the most famous face of Trump’s presidential campaign, and Trump’s ongoing threats to disclose the JFK assassination evidence – when seen together, paint a disturbing picture of America’s near future.

Or maybe this is all just another conspiracy theory. Only time can tell.