Donald Trump has a target on his back. Plenty of America’s enemies want him gone.
And now a Trump assassin exposed one foreign government for calling in the hit.
A Pakistani businessman on trial in federal court in Brooklyn testified on March 4, 2026, that he was coerced by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) into participating in a 2024 m*rder-for-hire scheme targeting U.S. political figures, including President Donald Trump.
Asif Merchant, 47, a Pakistani national, faces charges of terrorism and m*rder-for-hire that could result in life imprisonment if convicted. Prosecutors allege he acted at the direction of Iran, though Merchant insists he had no genuine intent to follow through and only cooperated out of fear for his family’s safety.
Merchant took the stand in his own defense, speaking through an Urdu interpreter. He claimed his IRGC handler, identified as Mehrdad Yousef, threatened his wife and adopted daughter in Tehran if he refused to recruit individuals in the United States for a multi-step operation.
“My family was under threat, and I had to do this. I was not wanting to do this so willingly,” Merchant told jurors. He described the initial directive as recruiting U.S. residents for Iran-related activities, which escalated to include staging protests, stealing documents, laundering money, and arranging a m*rder.
According to his testimony, the handler named three potential targets: Donald Trump, then-President Joe Biden, and former presidential candidate Nikki Haley. Merchant said he never received a direct order to k*ll a specific person but felt he had “no other option” due to the threats.
He claimed he provided fabricated updates to his contact—hidden inside a book shipped to Iran via intermediaries—and anticipated arrest before any violence occurred, hoping cooperation with U.S. authorities would eventually help him secure a green card.
Alleged Plot Details and Undercover Sting
Authorities say Merchant researched Trump rally locations, drafted plans for a shooting at a political event, and attempted to hire hit men. He outlined the scheme on a napkin during a meeting with an individual who turned out to be an FBI informant. He offered $5,000—scraped together from a cousin—as an initial payment, but the supposed assassins were undercover FBI agents.
Merchant was arrested on July 12, 2024, while attempting to leave the country, shortly after being questioned by immigration agents at Houston’s airport in April 2024 about his Iran trips. No concrete steps toward carrying out a m*rder were taken, and the plot was disrupted before it advanced.
Prosecutors have pushed back on Merchant’s duress claim, noting in recent court filings that he never contacted law enforcement prior to his arrest and omitted key details supporting coercion during FBI interviews. They argue he continued efforts even after scrutiny at the airport.
Broader Context and Iranian Denials
The trial unfolds against heightened U.S.-Iran tensions, including recent U.S.-Israeli military strikes that k*lled Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other officials. Iran has consistently denied involvement in any plots to assassinate U.S. officials, including Trump.
Merchant pleaded not guilty, and his case highlights ongoing concerns about foreign-directed threats against American leaders, though his defense centers on alleged forced participation rather than voluntary allegiance to Iran. The proceedings continue in the Eastern District of New York.
