Tuesday, March 10, 2026-A Pakistani national has been convicted in a U.S. federal court for participating in a plot to assassinate President Donald Trump, a scheme prosecutors say was linked to Iran. The man, identified as Asif Merchant, was found guilty of terrorism-related charges and murder-for-hire after a trial in New York City.
Prosecutors said Merchant attempted to recruit individuals in the United States to carry out the assassination during the 2024 election period. Authorities said he believed he was hiring hitmen, but the people he contacted were actually cooperating with the Federal Bureau of Investigation as part of a sting operation. Investigators recorded meetings in which he discussed plans and paid a $5,000 down payment to initiate the plot.
Officials say the alleged operation was directed by members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and was partly motivated by retaliation for the U.S. killing of Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani in 2020. Merchant argued in court that he acted under pressure because his family in Iran had been threatened, but prosecutors said he took concrete steps to move the plot forward. He now faces the possibility of life in prison when sentenced.
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