NEW YORK: The U.S. Department of Justice has announced that a Pakistani citizen has been found guilty of planning to assassinate U.S. President Donald Trump and other high-profile American politicians at the direction of Iran.
Asif Merchant, the accused, allegedly attempted in 2020 to recruit people in the U.S. to target Trump and other leaders in retaliation for the killing of Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani. At the time, Trump was serving his first term as president.
The federal prosecution reported that the 2024 conspiracy also targeted then-President Joe Biden and Nikki Haley, who were running against Trump for the Republican presidential nomination that year.
The Department of Justice stated that Asif Merchant acted under the guidance of Iranian authorities, committing “murder for hire and terrorist acts beyond national borders” in exchange for money.
The trial began last week in the Brooklyn Borough of New York City, just days before Trump reportedly ordered an attack on Iran in coordination with Israel, which escalated into the largest conflict in the region in years.
Merchant admitted to conspiring with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) but claimed in a sworn statement that he acted unwillingly to protect his family in Tehran. He also said he was never explicitly ordered to kill specific individuals, though his Iranian handler mentioned three names during discussions in the Iranian capital.
Law enforcement agencies successfully foiled the plot before it could be carried out. The DOJ noted that the person Merchant contacted in April 2024 to assist with the plan reported the activities to authorities and became a confidential informant. Merchant was arrested later that year and pleaded not guilty, seeking acquittal.
