Daijiworld Media Network - Washington

Washington, Mar 7: A US federal jury has convicted Asif Merchant, also known as Asif Raza Merchant, an Iranian intelligence operative, for terrorism and murder-for-hire offences linked to a foiled plot to assassinate American political figures, including former President Donald Trump. Merchant faces up to life in prison, authorities said.

The US Department of Justice stated that Merchant was sent to the United States by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to organise political killings and other covert operations. Prosecutors said he travelled to the US in April 2024, tasked with recruiting operatives, stealing documents, staging protests, and preparing an assassination plot.

Attorney General Pamela Bondi said, “This man landed on American soil hoping to kill President Trump — instead, he was met with the might of American law enforcement.” Investigators revealed that Merchant had been trained by the IRGC in tradecraft and counter-surveillance techniques in Pakistan before being tasked to target US politicians.

Merchant attempted to hire accomplices through a contact in New York, Nadeem Ali, who instead alerted authorities and became a confidential informant. Merchant met undercover officers posing as hitmen, paying $5,000 in cash as an advance for the planned assassination. He was arrested on July 12, 2024, before leaving the US.

FBI Director Kash Patel said the case highlighted Iran’s ongoing attempts to target Americans: “Merchant tried to hire someone to kill a politician or a US government official, but the FBI and our partners stopped that deadly plot.”

The conviction comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, with ongoing strikes between Israel and Iran, missile attacks, and disruptions to global oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump has demanded Iran’s “unconditional surrender” as the conflict escalates across the region.