A Pakistani man was found guilty of plotting to assassinate US President Donald Trump and other American officials in retaliation for the US killing of Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani, prosecutors said.
The accused, identified as Asif Merchant, was convicted in a federal court in Brooklyn on charges including murder-for-hire and attempting to commit an act of terrorism across national borders. Prosecutors said that Merchant was linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and had travelled to the United States to arrange political assassinations.
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Merchant arrived in the US in April 2024 and met individuals he believed were hired assailants in New York in June. They were actually undercover law enforcement officers, and Merchant was arrested in July 2024 before leaving the country.
Iranian Intelligence Agent Convicted of Terrorism and Murder for Hire in Connection with Foiled Plot to Assassinate U.S. Politicians and Government Officialshttps://t.co/5zZsHByzbTpic.twitter.com/eePzmRitKd— FBI (@FBI)March 7, 2026
Authorities said that Merchant admitted during the trial that he had been sent to the US by the IRGC to recruit people to carry out operations, including stealing documents, staging protests and killing a political figure. He even paid $5,000 in advance to the supposed hitmen as part of the plan.
He claimed before the court that his family was threatened and that he was forced into the plot to save them.
“I had no other options. My family was threatened," Merchant told jurors in Brooklyn federal court.
“This man landed on American soil hoping to kill President Trump — instead, he was met with the might of American law enforcement," US Attorney General Pamela Bondi said after the verdict.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the conviction shows the agency’s commitment to stopping threats linked to foreign actors. “Merchant tried to hire someone to kill a politician or a US government official, but the FBI and our partners stopped that deadly plot," he said.
Merchant, a former banker with a failed banana business, told the court he hoped to eventually inform US authorities about the plot and seek legal residency in the country.
Source: World News in news18.com, World Latest News, World News
