‘Incident similar to 9/11’: Iran’s security chief claims conspiracy linking ‘Epstein network’

In an inflammatory statement that has drawn swift international attention, Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, has alleged that remnants of Jeffrey Epstein’s network are orchestrating a plot to stage a terrorist attack mirroring the 9/11 atrocities in the US, with the explicit intent of framing Tehran. Writing on the social media platform X, Larijani claimed: "I’ve heard that the remaining members of Epstein’s network have devised a conspiracy to create an incident similar to 9/11 and blame Iran for it."

Larijani, a high-ranking official within the Iranian government, emphasised that Tehran remains steadfastly opposed to terrorism, stating, "Iran fundamentally opposes such terrorist schemes and has no war with the American people."

The allegations invoke the memory of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, widely regarded as one of the deadliest and most significant events in modern history. According to official reports from major news agencies like Reuters.

The 9/11 attack

19 hijackers linked to the Al-Qaeda terrorist organisation seized control of four commercial passenger planes on September 11, 2001.

The targets:

1. World Trade Centre: Two planes were flown into the Twin Towers in New York City, leading to their catastrophic collapse.
2. The Pentagon: A third plane struck the US military headquarters in Virginia.
3. Shanksville, Pennsylvania: A fourth plane crashed into a field after passengers resisted the hijackers, preventing it from reaching a presumed target in Washington, DC.

Nearly 3,000 lives were lost, and the event caused unprecedented destruction to the World Trade Centre complex and surrounding areas.

As of now, there has been no official response from the US government regarding Larijani's specific claims, nor has there been any public evidence provided to support the allegation of a conspiracy involving the late Jeffrey Epstein’s associates.