A Pakistani man accused of having ties to Iran was found guilty by a US court on the 6th of conspiring to assassinate former US President Trump and other political figures. His motive is said to be revenge for the US military’s 2020 killing of then-Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Qassem Soleimani.
According to AFP, US prosecutors demonstrated during the trial at Brooklyn federal court that Asif Raza Merchant had attempted to hire a hitman to assassinate a US political figure or government official.
In January 2020, Qassem Soleimani, who was in charge of the IRGC's overseas military operations, died in Baghdad in a US drone strike. Since then, Iranian officials have repeatedly pledged public revenge.
According to multiple media reports, during testimony on the 4th, Merchant said he was forced to participate in the conspiracy in order to protect his family in Tehran from harm by the Revolutionary Guard. He also believed he would be caught before anyone could be assassinated.
Merchant said he was never ordered to kill anyone specifically, but his Iranian contacts had mentioned three people related to the assassination plot: US President Trump, former President Biden, and former US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley.
The prosecution spokesperson told AFP that Merchant was convicted of two charges: transnational terrorism and murder-for-hire, with a sentencing date yet to be determined. Merchant could face life imprisonment.