A federal jury in Brooklyn has convicted Pakistani national Asif Merchant of attempted terrorism and murder-for-hire for plotting, at the direction of Iranian operatives, to assassinate former U.S. President Donald Trump, according to court records and media reports. The verdict was returned in U.S. Federal District Court.
Merchant, a former banker, testified that Iranian intelligence operatives coerced him into the plot by threatening his relatives and that he felt he had “no other options.” He admitted paying $5,000 to two undercover FBI agents who were posing as hired killers.
According to Merchant’s testimony, an Iranian handler instructed him in April 2024 to travel to the United States “maybe to have somebody murdered.” The handler initially did not name a specific target, Merchant said, but later provided three names: Donald Trump, Joe Biden and Nikki Haley, all prominent figures during the 2024 presidential race. Merchant also told the court he had helped the Iranian regime evade sanctions through money laundering and identified his handler as Mehrdad Yousef, whom he described as a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The trial and conviction come against the backdrop of escalating strikes and counterstrikes between the U.S., Israel and Iran in the Middle East. President Trump, speaking at a White House event, praised recent U.S. military actions and said Iran’s military capabilities had been severely degraded. The broader conflict entered its seventh day at the time of reporting, with neither side showing signs of relenting.
The case was reported via syndicated news feeds and published as received by the outlet that covered the trial.
