New York [US], March 7 (ANI): A Brooklyn federal jury has convicted Pakistani national Asif Merchant of attempted terrorism and murder-for-hire for plotting, at Iran’s direction, to assassinate former US President Donald Trump, the New York Times reported. Merchant was found guilty in Federal District Court.
Merchant testified that Iranian intelligence operatives coerced him into the plot and pressured him by threatening his relatives, the New York Post reported. He told the court he felt he had “no other options” and that his family was threatened. The former banker allegedly paid USD 5,000 to two undercover FBI agents who were posing as hitmen.
According to Merchant’s testimony, an Iranian handler instructed him in April 2024 to come to the United States to “maybe to have somebody murdered.” Although the handler did not initially specify a single target, Merchant said three names were later provided: Donald Trump, Joe Biden and Nikki Haley. At the time, Trump and Biden were frontrunners in the 2024 presidential race.
Merchant also testified that he had been involved in helping the Iranian regime evade sanctions through money laundering. He identified his handler as Mehrdad Yousef, whom he described as a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The trial and conviction come amid ongoing strikes by the US and Israel on Iranian targets and Iranian counterattacks on US assets in the region. U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking at a White House roundtable on collegiate sports, praised U.S. military operations in Iran and claimed the country’s military capabilities and leadership had been severely degraded.
Trump said, “We’re doing very — by the way, in Iran. Somebody said, how would you score it from zero to 10? I said I’d give it a 12 to a 15. Their army is gone. Their Navy is gone. Their communications are gone. Their leaders are gone. Two sets of their leaders are gone. They’re down to their third set. Their air forces wiped out entirely. Think of it. They have 32 ships. All 32 are at the bottom of the ocean.”
Saturday marked day seven of the wider conflict in West Asia, with neither side showing signs of relenting. (ANI)
(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)
