A US federal court in Brooklyn convicted Pakistani national Asif Raza Merchant of plotting to assassinate senior American political figures, including President Donald Trump. Prosecutors said the murder-for-hire plan was linked to retaliation for the 2020 killing of Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani. Merchant, arrested in July 2024, now faces possible life imprisonment.
A Pakistani national accused of links to Iran has been convicted in a United States federal court for plotting to assassinate senior American political figures, including US President Donald Trump, prosecutors confirmed on Friday.
The man, identified as Asif Raza Merchant, was found guilty in a federal court in Brooklyn, New York, on charges related to transnational terrorism and murder-for-hire. According to an AFP report quoting prosecutors, Merchant attempted to hire a hitman to carry out the assassination of a prominent US politician or government official as retaliation for the killing of Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani.
Soleimani, who led overseas operations for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was killed in January 2020 during a US drone strike in Baghdad ordered by the administration of then-President Trump. The strike triggered widespread tensions in the region, and Iranian leaders repeatedly pledged to avenge his death.
During the trial, prosecutors argued that Merchant had strong connections to Iran and was part of a broader effort linked to Iranian interests to target American leaders, AFP reported. They described the alleged assassination plan as resembling tactics historically associated with the Iranian government.
Court proceedings revealed that Merchant allegedly sought a contract killer to carry out the attack on US soil. While investigators said the plot involved potential targets in American politics, Merchant testified that he was never given a definitive assassination order against a specific individual.
IRGC Pressurised Merchant Into Participating In Killing Plot
In his testimony on Wednesday, Merchant claimed he had been coerced into participating in the plan. He told the court that he feared for the safety of his family living in Tehran, stating that members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards pressured him into cooperating. Merchant also said he believed authorities would apprehend him before any attack could take place.
According to testimony presented during the trial, Merchant’s alleged Iranian contact referenced three prominent US political figures while discussing the operation: President Trump, former President Joe Biden, and former US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley.