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A Pakistani national accused of conspiring to assassinate American political figures testified that Iranian intelligence operatives coerced him into a plot targeting Donald Trump and Joe Biden, the New York Post reported. Asif Merchant, 47, provided his account in court on Wednesday, claiming he was pressured into the scheme to protect his relatives. During his testimony in a Brooklyn federal court, the defendant, who is charged with terrorism and murder-for-hire, stated that he felt compelled to act. "I had no other options. My family was threatened," Merchant informed the jury.
The accused, a former banker, allegedly paid USD 5,000 to two undercover FBI agents who were masquerading as assassins. According to the New York Post, Merchant claimed that an Iranian handler instructed him in April 2024 to travel to the United States to "maybe to have somebody murdered." While the handler allegedly did not specify a single individual initially, Merchant testified that three names were provided. "He did not tell me exactly who it is, but he named three people to me: Donald Trump, Joe Biden and Nikki Haley," he explained. At that time, Trump and Biden were the frontrunners for the 2024 presidential race. Merchant, who has maintained a plea of not guilty since his arrest in August 2024, claimed he was already involved in helping the Iranian regime evade sanctions through money laundering. The New York Post noted that he identified his handler as Mehrdad Yousef, a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Merchant asserted that his cooperation was a result of Yousef putting "pressure" on his family members living in Iran. Though he did not detail specific threats against his wife and daughter in Iran, he described an intimidating encounter where Yousef visited his home and brandished a weapon. "My family was under threat, and I had to do this," he told the court. The New York Post reported that surveillance footage from June 2024 showed Merchant in a Queens motel discussing the mechanics of the plot, asking of a target: "This is the target. How will it die?" Merchant claimed he anticipated his own capture and never expected the plan to succeed. "I didn''t think I would be able to be successful," he testified, adding, "I was not wanting to do this so willingly." He further remarked that the USD 5,000 payment was an indication of the plot''s lack of realism, noting "nobody does anybody''s murder" for such a small amount. The New York Post highlighted his claim that he had been "mentally ready" to be caught and intended to cooperate with US officials. "I was going to tell the government," he said, adding, "I wanted to apply for a green card." Merchant is scheduled for cross-examination on Thursday and faces a potential life sentence if found guilty. (ANI)
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