A Pakistani man with alleged ties to Iran went on trial in New York this week, accused by US prosecutors of plotting to hire assassins to kill American political figures, including US President Donald Trump.
Asif Merchant, 47, appeared before a federal jury in Brooklyn this week facing charges that could bring a life sentence if he is convicted. Prosecutors allege he travelled to New York in 2024 to organise killings on American soil during the tense run-up to the presidential election.
He entered the US in April 2024 and quickly got in touch with a man he thought could help him arrange contract killings. However, this man had other plans and tipped off the authorities, becoming a confidential informant in the process, which led to an FBI sting operation. Later, he handed over a $5,000 advance payment to two supposed assassins who were in fact undercover FBI agents. The meeting, prosecutors told jurors, marked a concrete step toward an attack that never materialised.
Although no final target was named at the time, court filings indicated that senior US officials, including Trump, were among those being considered.
PROSECUTION OUTLINES ASSASSINATION PLAN
Prosecutors said Asif Merchant explained his plans during meetings by arranging everyday objects on a hotel napkin to represent buildings, crowds and the intended victim. The visual outline, they argued, showed both preparation and intent.
They also told jurors the proposed killing was meant to take place before the November 2024 presidential election.
Asif Merchant has pleaded not guilty. His defence lawyers portrayed him as a deeply religious businessman who divides his time between Pakistan and Iran, where he has families in both countries, an arrangement they noted is lawful there. They claimed that there is no concrete evidence to connect him to any actual plot.
ALLEGED IRAN LINKS RAISED
US authorities have long warned of Iranian attempts to attack American officials in retaliation for the 2020 drone strike that killed Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander Qassem Soleimani, an operation approved under the Trump administration.
In earlier court filings, it was reported that he had previously lived in Iran before moving to the United States and had been aggrieved of American leaders who were responsible for the death of Soleimani.
Iran has consistently denied involvement in assassination plots against US figures.
With inputs from agencies
