A man accused of plotting the assassination of US President Donald Trump and other prominent politicians testified in court on Wednesday that he was coerced into the scheme by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Asif Raza Merchant, a 47-year-old national from Pakistan, was charged in September 2024 for attempting to hire a hitman to eliminate unnamed US officials. He has pleaded not guilty to the allegations against him.
Details of the alleged coercion
The IRGC, which operates as Iran’s elite military unit under the authority of the ayatollah, has a history of targeting high-ranking US officials. This aggression intensified following the death of Qasem Soleimani, one of their commanders, in a US drone strike.
During his testimony, Merchant recounted feeling compelled to participate in the plot to protect his family in Tehran from potential retribution by the IRGC. He expressed his doubts about the plan, stating that he believed he would be apprehended before any harm could be inflicted. While he was not given explicit orders to kill any specific individual, he revealed that his Iranian contact had referred to three individuals: Trump, former President Joe Biden, and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley.
“My family was under threat, and I had to do this,” Merchant declared in court through an Urdu interpreter. “I was not wanting to do this so willingly.”
Background of the trial
Merchant’s trial is unfolding against the backdrop of ongoing conflict in Iran, which has escalated following US-Israel military operations resulting in the deaths of Iranian leaders, including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
US officials have indicated that Merchant had established “close ties to Iran” and characterized his alleged assassination plot as “straight out of the Iranian regime’s playbook.” According to reports, Merchant began collaborating with an IRGC member in 2022 when the individual inquired if he would be “interested in doing some work with the Iranian government.”
As the plot developed, Merchant was reportedly directed to organize protests, steal sensitive documents, launder money, and potentially arrange for an assassination. He expressed concerns about the safety of his wife and adopted daughter in Iran, which ultimately influenced his decision to engage in the operation.
Merchant was apprehended after attempting to hire individuals who he believed were hitmen but were, in fact, undercover FBI agents.