How a ‘Family Man’s’ Assassination Plot Against Trump Fueled a Regional War
Asif Merchant, 46, a Pakani man with alleged ties to Iran who has been charged in the US in connection with a foiled plot to assassinate a US politician or government officials, is shown in this photo released in a criminal complaint the Department of Justice August 6, 2024. (Reuters/image enhanced using AI)
Asif Merchant, a Pakani man, has been convicted in the US for plotting to assassinate President Donald Trump and other top American politicians on behalf of Iran, the US Department of Justice said Friday.
Prosecutors said Asif Merchant tried to recruit people in the United States for the plot in 2024. The alleged plan was meant to avenge the 2020 killing of Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani during Trump’s first term.
Apart from Trump, the targets also included then US President Joe Biden and Republican leader Nikki Haley, who had challenged Trump for the Republican presidential nomination that year, federal prosecutors said.
Convicted of terrorism and murder-for-hire charges
Merchant was convicted of “murder for hire and attempting to commit an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries,” the Justice Department said, adding that the plot was allegedly directed Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The trial began last week in Brooklyn, New York, just days before Trump authorised military strikes on Iran alongside Israel, a move that has since spiralled into the region’s biggest conflict in years.Story continues below this ad
Accused says he joined plot under pressure
During the trial, Merchant admitted he had joined the plan with members of the Revolutionary Guards but claimed he did so under pressure to protect his family in Tehran. He told the court that he was never given a direct order to kill a specific individual, though his Iranian handler mentioned three potential targets during meetings in Iran.
Plot foiled after informant alerted authorities
Authorities said the plot was foiled before any attack could take place. In April 2024, a person Merchant contacted to help execute the plan alerted law enforcement and later became a confidential informant. Merchant was subsequently arrested and pleaded not guilty.
The Revolutionary Guards, a powerful military and intelligence force in Iran — have denied accusations that Tehran targeted Trump or other US officials.
Case emerges amid escalating Iran-US-Israel war
The case has resurfaced amid the rapidly escalating war between Iran, the US and Israel. Iran’s UN ambassador says at least 1,332 civilians have been killed in recent strikes, while several top Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, are reported dead.Story continues below this ad
The US military says six American service members were killed in an attack on a facility in Kuwait, while Israeli authorities report at least 10 civilian deaths in Israel.
