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By Goli Innocent
A Pakistani man standing trial in the United States over an alleged plot to assassinate American politicians, including President Donald Trump, has claimed he was pressured by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to carry out the plan.
The suspect, Asif Raza Merchant, told a US court on Wednesday that he became involved in the scheme because members of the Iranian security force threatened his family who were living in Tehran. Merchant, 47, had earlier been charged in September 2024 for allegedly trying to hire a hitman to kill unnamed US political figures.
Testifying during the trial, Merchant said he feared for the safety of his wife and adopted daughter and believed the threats against them were serious. He insisted he never intended for anyone to actually be killed and thought the operation would collapse before reaching that stage.
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“My family was under threat, and I had to do this,” Merchant told the court through an Urdu interpreter. “I was not wanting to do this so willingly.”
According to reports presented in court, Merchant claimed his Iranian contact mentioned three possible targets during their conversations: Donald Trump, former US President Joe Biden and former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley.
Investigators say Merchant attempted to hire hitmen to carry out the killings, but the individuals he contacted were undercover FBI agents, leading to his arrest before the alleged plot could move forward.
The case is unfolding as tensions between the United States, Israel and Iran remain high following recent military strikes that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, further complicating relations between Washington and Tehran.
