Pakistani found guilty of Iran-linked plot to kill Trump, US officials

Asif Raza Merchant, a Pakistani national, was found guilty of attempting to hire a hitman to kill a politician or government official in the United States, prosecutors revealed during his trial in a federal court located in Brooklyn. The incident is linked to Qassem Soleimani, who led Iran's foreign military operations and was killed by a US drone strike in Baghdad in January 2020. Iranian leaders have consistently promised to take revenge for his death. During his testimony on Wednesday, Merchant claimed he felt pressured into the assassination plot to protect his family in Tehran from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. He expressed that he believed he would be apprehended before any harm could be done. Merchant stated he was never directed to kill a specific individual but mentioned that his Iranian contact referred to three names related to the plot: President Trump, former President Joe Biden, and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley. Following his conviction on two charges—transnational terrorism and murder for hire—a spokesperson for the prosecutors informed AFP that Merchant's sentencing will occur at an unspecified date. He could face a life sentence. This trial takes place amid ongoing US and Israeli operations against Iran, which have resulted in casualties among Iranian leadership, including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. US officials have noted that Merchant had “close ties to Iran” and characterized his alleged scheme as typical of the Iranian regime's strategies. The US aims to limit nuclear and missile threats from Tehran, while also destabilizing its government, with former President Donald Trump advocating for “unconditional surrender.” Merchant was apprehended on July 12, 2024, as he was preparing to leave the country.