Segun Atanda/
A United States federal jury has convicted an alleged Iranian intelligence operative accused of plotting to assassinate Donald Trump and other American political figures.
The man, Asif Merchant, was found guilty of murder-for-hire and attempting to commit an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries after prosecutors said he entered the United States to organise the killing of American politicians.
US authorities said Merchant was a trained operative linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the powerful Iranian military organisation designated by Washington as a terrorist group.
According to prosecutors, the suspect travelled to the United States in April 2024 with instructions from the Iranian force to recruit individuals who could help carry out assassinations and other covert operations.
The plot, however, never progressed beyond planning stages after the individuals Merchant believed he had recruited turned out to be undercover law enforcement officers.
US Attorney General, Pamela Bondi, said the conviction showed how close the alleged scheme came to targeting Trump.
“This man landed on American soil hoping to kill President Trump, instead he was met with the might of American law enforcement,” Bondi said.
She added that authorities would continue to act decisively against terrorism threats.
“The Department of Justice will remain ever-vigilant to protect Americans, prosecute terrorists and halt acts of terrorism before they happen.”
Officials said Merchant first attempted to recruit criminal contacts to help steal sensitive documents, organise protests and ultimately assassinate a political figure.
Investigators said the suspect met an acquaintance in New York who instead alerted authorities and became a confidential source for the investigation.
At one meeting in early June 2024, prosecutors said Merchant hinted at his intentions by making what they described as a “finger gun” gesture while discussing an “opportunity” involving a killing.
He reportedly told the contact that the targets would be “targeted here” in the United States and asked how a high-profile figure could be killed in various scenarios despite heavy security.
According to testimony presented during the trial, Merchant said the killing would take place only after he had left the United States and that instructions would be delivered using coded communication.
The suspect later met with individuals he believed to be hired assassins in New York, unaware they were undercover agents.
During the meeting, Merchant allegedly outlined three separate assignments for the group, including stealing documents, staging protests at political rallies and killing a “political person”.
Authorities said Merchant even provided a $5,000 advance payment to move the plan forward.
After accepting the money, one undercover officer reportedly told him, “Now we know we’re going forward. We’re doing this,” to which Merchant replied: “Yes, absolutely.”
The suspect was arrested in July 2024 before leaving the United States and now faces a possible life sentence.
FBI Director, Kash Patel, said the case highlights ongoing Iranian efforts to target US officials.
“Merchant tried to hire someone to kill a politician or a US government official, but the FBI and our partners stopped that deadly plot,” Patel said. “This was not the first attempt by Iran to harm our citizens on US soil; the other efforts also failed.”
Officials said Merchant had earlier received training in surveillance and counter-surveillance techniques and travelled repeatedly to Iran to meet his handler before being sent back to the United States with orders to carry out the operation.
Assistant Attorney General, John A. Eisenberg, said the alleged plot targeted the core of the American political system.
“Merchant’s plot struck at the heart of our democracy and our commitment to the rule of law,” he said.
The investigation involved multiple offices of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and several US law enforcement agencies, including local police in New York.
Prosecutors said the verdict marks the final collapse of what they described as a foreign-backed plot to assassinate senior US political figures, including Trump.
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