'Landed in US to kill Trump': Pakistani man found guilty of IRGC-backed Qasem Soleimani revenge mission amid Iran war

A Pakistani national accused of working with Iranian contacts to assassinate US political figures has been found guilty in a federal court in New York, prosecutors said Friday (Mar 6). The wannabe assassinator, identified as Asif Raza Merchant, hired a hitman to kill a US politician, with three people on the hit list: President Trump, former president Joe Biden and former UN ambassador Nikki Haley. All you need to know.

An assassination plan foiled

Asif Raza Merchant was convicted of plotting to hire a hitman to kill a US politician or government official in retaliation for the 2020 killing of Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani.

The verdict was delivered in federal court in Brooklyn after prosecutors argued that Merchant had attempted to arrange a contract killing inside the United States.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi earlier said that Merchant came to America with a plot to kill Trump. “This man landed on American soil hoping to kill President Trump — instead, he was met with the might of American law enforcement,” she said.

Why did Asif Raza Merchant want to kill Trump and Biden?

Reports suggest that the assassination plot was linked to revenge for Qasem Soleimani, who died by Trump-ordered drone strike in January 2020. Soleimani, the commander of the Revolutionary Guards, led Iran’s foreign military operations, and since his killing during Trump's first term, Iranian leaders have repeatedly vowed to avenge his death.

During the trial, prosecutors said Merchant tried to recruit a hitman to target American officials as part of that retaliation. US authorities had earlier described Merchant as having "close ties to Iran" and said the alleged plan was "straight out of the Iranian regime's playbook."

Merchant's chilling confession

During his trial on Wednesday, the Pakistani man confessed that he was forced to take part in the assassination plot to protect his family in Tehran. They, he claimed, faced danger from the Revolutionary Guards. According to reports from several media outlets, he told the court that he believed he would be arrested before any attack could take place.

He also said he was never ordered to kill a specific person. However, he testified that his Iranian contact mentioned three potential targets during discussions: Trump, former president Joe Biden, and former US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley.

The 'napkin plan'

As Asif Raza Merchant's trial opened Wednesday in New York, prosecutors told the court that the Pakistani man, in June 2024, met with and paid $5,000 to supposed hit men who were actually undercover FBI agents. According to testimony from an intermediary and a video shown in court on Wednesday, Merchant used a hotel napkin and random objects to outline the assassination plan. The plan was to assassinate a political figure during a rally and then stage a protest to facilitate the killer's getaway.

Arrest and possible sentence

Merchant was arrested on July 12, 2024, while preparing to leave the United States, according to prosecutors. He was convicted on two charges: transnational terrorism and murder for hire. Prosecutors said the charges could carry a life sentence, though the date for his sentencing has not yet been set.

The case unfolded against the backdrop of rising tensions between Washington and Tehran, as the US and Israel carry out strikes inside Iran.