A Pakistani man accused of links to Iran has been found guilty in the United States of plotting to assassinate senior American officials, including President Donald Trump, prosecutors said on Friday.
Asif Raza Merchant was convicted in a federal court in New York City after prosecutors said he attempted to hire a hitman to carry out the killing of a U.S. politician or government official. The trial took place in a federal courthouse in Brooklyn.
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According to prosecutors, Merchant allegedly acted in retaliation for the killing of Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani, who was the head of foreign operations for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Soleimani was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad in January 2020, an operation ordered during Trump’s presidency that sharply escalated tensions between Washington and Tehran.
During testimony earlier in the week, Merchant told the court he had been forced into the alleged plot in order to protect his family living in Tehran. He claimed he believed authorities would arrest him before any attack could be carried out.
Merchant also testified that he was never instructed to target a specific person. However, he said his Iranian contact mentioned three possible figures linked to the plot: Trump, former U.S. president Joe Biden and former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley.
Prosecutors previously described Merchant as having “close ties to Iran” and said the alleged plot reflected tactics commonly used by the Iranian government.
Merchant was arrested on July 12, 2024, as he prepared to leave the United States. He was convicted on charges of transnational terrorism and murder-for-hire.
A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled. If given the maximum penalty, Merchant could face life in prison.