A Pakistani national linked to Iran has been convicted in the United States for plotting to assassinate senior American political figures, including President Donald Trump.
A federal jury in Brooklyn found 47-year-old Asif Merchant guilty of murder-for-hire and attempting to commit terrorism across national boundaries after a week-long trial. Prosecutors said Merchant tried to recruit hitmen in New York in 2024 to carry out the killings.
According to the United States Department of Justice, Merchant was a trained operative of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). He travelled to the United States in April 2024 and later attempted to hire individuals he believed were contract killers, who were actually undercover law-enforcement agents. Authorities arrested him in July 2024 before any attack could occur.
Investigators said the alleged targets included Trump, former U.S. president Joe Biden and former U.S. ambassador Nikki Haley. Prosecutors said the plot was intended as retaliation for the 2020 killing of Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani in a U.S. drone strike.
During the trial, Merchant claimed he was forced to cooperate by Iranian handlers who threatened his family. Prosecutors, however, argued he willingly pursued the plan.
The jury reached a verdict in less than two hours. Merchant now faces a possible life sentence, though his lawyer said several legal issues remain unresolved.