Following the allegations on the alleged Iranian plot to assassinate the Saudi Ambassador to 
Washington, the prominent journalist, Michael Rubin wrote a commentary on the Commentary Magazine on October 18, titled ”Iran Says Plot was Mujahedin Put-Up Job”.
He points out the new Iranian government’s assertion that "Gholam Shakuri, the deputy to the cousin in the Qods Force who Mansour Arbabsiar allegedly telephoned, is actually a member of the Mujahedin al-Khalq.”
Notifying that he is neither a supporter of Islamic Republic nor a supporter of Mujahedin khalq, he asserts that US intelligence fails to have enough information on the MKO. As he calls it "an elaborate hoax", he criticizes the American Intelligence agencies and media for being confused by the MKO propaganda. He believes:
”It would be useful for the Islamic Republic to provide some proof to the allegation, but at the same time it would behoove the Department of Justice and Department of State to disprove the Iranian claim. Certainly, we can add a lack of information about Iranian MKO members to the list of our intelligence failures regarding Iran."
Regarding the MKO’s previous baseless forged claims on Iran Rubin concludes:
"It will be interesting to see how this plays out. It would not be the first time the Mujahedin al-Khalq has forced intelligence agencies and the press to scramble with an elaborate hoax. And, even if the evidence against the Islamic Republic is overwhelming, the fact that Iranian leaders can seize on past Mujahedin al-Khalq fabrications is ample reason not to trust anything the MKO says today either, no matter how many American and European officials are willing to embrace them.”