In recent weeks, US authorities have obtained intelligence indicating a plot by Iran to assassinate former President Donald Trump.
According to reports from CNN, this development prompted the Secret Service to enhance security measures around Trump.
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The heightened security comes amid revelations that a human source provided crucial information about the threat.
However, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, who attempted to kill Trump at a rally on Saturday, appears to be unrelated to the Iranian plot.
The intelligence threat from a hostile foreign entity has raised significant questions about security lapses at the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Despite the Secret Service’s pre-emptive measures, Mr Crooks managed to access a nearby rooftop and fire shots that injured Trump.
A US national security official confirmed that the Secret Service and Trump campaign were informed of the threat before the rally.
“Secret Service learned of the increased threat from this threat stream,” the official said.
The Trump campaign has remained tight-lipped about the Iranian threat, deferring questions to the Secret Service.
The FBI, which is investigating the shooting, has not found any connections between Crooks and the Iranian plot.
NSC spokesperson Adrienne Watson said: “At this time, law enforcement has reported that their investigation has not identified ties between the shooter and any accomplice or co-conspirator, foreign or domestic.”
The Iranian government has denied any involvement in the plot, calling the accusations “unsubstantiated and malicious”.
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