A Pakistani man with ties to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards was found guilty Friday of plotting to assassinate President Donald Trump and other American officials in a revenge operation for the 2020 killing of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani.
Asif Merchant, 47, arrived in the U.S. from Pakistan in April 2024 after spending time in Iran, where prosecutors say he was trained by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. By June, he had contacted a person he believed could help with the assassination plot — a person who immediately reported him to the FBI.
What followed was an undercover operation in which Merchant met with federal agents posing as hitmen in New York, believing he was hiring killers to eliminate Trump, former President Joe Biden, and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley.
After a week-long trial in Brooklyn federal court, a jury deliberated less than two hours before returning a guilty verdict on charges of murder for hire and attempted terrorism transcending national boundaries.
The Plot
Merchant admitted at trial that his IRGC handler directed him to kill the American officials as retribution for the U.S. drone strike that killed Soleimani in Baghdad in January 2020.
But Merchant argued he had no choice. His handler indicated knowledge of where Merchant’s Iranian relatives lived, and he claimed he “had no other option” than to go along.
He also testified that he anticipated being arrested before anyone was killed and intended to cooperate with the U.S. government, hoping the cooperation would help him obtain a green card.
The jury was not persuaded.
“Iran’s terrorist regime sent Asif Merchant here to sow mayhem and murder,” U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said after the verdict. “Thanks to the vigilance of our law enforcement partners, his scheme ended in failure. Today, with Merchant’s conviction, that failure is complete.”
The Investigation
The plot was foiled when Merchant unwittingly contacted an individual who immediately reported him to law enforcement. FBI agents then inserted undercover officers posing as hitmen.
Merchant was arrested in July 2024, just before he planned to leave the country. At the time of his arrest, no attack had been carried out.
During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Merchant was a trained IRGC operative sent specifically to the U.S. to recruit individuals who could carry out political assassinations.
The Defense
Merchant’s lawyer, Christopher Neff, expressed disappointment in the verdict but signaled an appeal.
“Nevertheless, as Judge Komitee noted, there are complex and significant legal issues yet to be decided,” Neff told the BBC. “We remain confident that we will ultimately achieve a favorable result for Mr. Merchant.”
Merchant faces a possible life sentence. No date has been set for sentencing.
The Soleimani Connection
The plot’s motivation traces back to January 3, 2020, when a U.S. drone strike at Baghdad International Airport killed Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force and one of Iran’s most powerful figures. The assassination dramatically escalated tensions between Washington and Tehran.
Four years later, an IRGC handler allegedly directed Merchant to kill the American officials responsible for that strike — including Trump, who ordered it, and others who supported it.
Haley, who served as Trump’s U.N. ambassador, was also targeted. Biden, then a candidate for president, was on the list as well.
What Comes Next
The conviction comes as the U.S.-Israel war with Iran rages into its second week, with airstrikes, missile attacks, and naval engagements across the Middle East. The conflict has killed more than 1,300 Iranians, at least 11 Israelis, and six U.S. service members.
For federal prosecutors in Brooklyn, the case represents a successful counter-terrorism operation — a plot uncovered, an operative convicted, and a message sent.
For Merchant, it means a lifetime behind bars unless his appeal succeeds.
For Iran, the message is also clear; it means that the U.S. will find your operatives, and they will face American justice.
