Pakistani Businessman Testifies in U.S. Court Over Alleged Iran-Linked Assassination Plot

A Pakistani businessman accused of plotting political assassinations in the United States testified in a New York federal court that he attempted to hire hit men to kill prominent U.S. politicians, including President Donald Trump, former President Joe Biden, and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley. The defendant, 47-year-old Asif Merchant, told jurors that he handed over $5,000 in cash to individuals he believed were hired killers but who were actually undercover FBI agents. Merchant was arrested on July 12, 2024, after investigators uncovered details of the alleged scheme, including a handwritten note containing coded instructions related to the plot.

During testimony, Merchant claimed he acted under pressure from an intelligence operative linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which the United States designates as a foreign terrorist organization. He said the contact instructed him to locate individuals in the U.S. who could organize protests, conduct criminal activities, and possibly carry out an assassination. Merchant testified that he cooperated out of fear for relatives living in Iran, alleging that his handler knew their identities and whereabouts. Despite suspecting he was under surveillance after being questioned by immigration officials at Houston airport in April 2024, he continued with the plan and even researched locations of Trump rallies.

Prosecutors challenged Merchant’s claims of coercion, noting he never contacted U.S. authorities before his arrest and failed to mention any alleged threats during earlier FBI interviews. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nina Gupta told the court that Merchant had traveled to the United States specifically to recruit criminals to kill a politician, which Merchant acknowledged. The trial comes amid heightened tensions involving Iran, though Iranian authorities have denied any involvement in assassination plots targeting U.S. leaders. Merchant, who previously worked in banking and various businesses in Pakistan, denied being a spy, telling jurors, “Absolutely not.”

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