Who Is Asif Merchant? Pakistani Man Accused Of Plotting To Kill Donald Trump And Joe Biden Blames Iran, Says ‘My Family Was Threatened’

A Pakistani national accused of plotting to assassinate prominent US political leaders has told a US court that he was forced by Iranian operatives to participate in the alleged scheme. During his testimony, the man claimed he acted under pressure after his family was threatened.

The case involves an alleged conspiracy targeting US President Donald Trump, former President Joe Biden and former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley.

Merchant Claims Iranian Spies Forced Him Into Assassination Plot

According to prosecutors from the United States Department of Justice, Asif Merchant, 47, attempted to recruit individuals in the United States to carry out a plot to assassinate Trump and other political figures. Investigators allege the plan was part of retaliation for the 2020 US strike that killed Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani.

Merchant, however, told jurors that he never willingly cooperated with the Iranian network. He claimed that individuals linked to Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps pressured him into helping them.

“I had no other options. My family was threatened. I was not wanting to do this so willingly,” Merchant reportedly said during the trial.

He told the court that his involvement began in late 2022 or early 2023, when he allegedly helped Iranian contacts move money in ways meant to bypass US sanctions.

Who Is Asif Merchant?

Asif Merchant described himself in court as a former banker who later ran an export business that failed. According to his testimony, he was approached by individuals he described as Iranian intelligence operatives.

Merchant identified his alleged handler as Mehrdad Yousef, whom he claimed was connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. He told jurors that Yousef instructed him to travel to the United States in 2024 and organise an assassination plot while also attempting to obtain unspecified documents.

“He did not tell me exactly who it is, but he named three people to me: Donald Trump, Joe Biden and Nikki Haley,” Merchant testified, adding that he only complied because his relatives in Iran were allegedly under pressure.

Merchant’s wife and three children live in Pakistan, according to reports.

Arrest After FBI Surveillance Operation

Authorities arrested Merchant in 2024 after an undercover operation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Prosecutors said security cameras installed in a motel captured him discussing plans to kill a US politician.

Merchant told the court he was aware he might eventually be arrested and claimed he intended to reveal the alleged plot to American authorities. “I was mentally ready. I wanted to tell the government and apply for a green card,” he said during his testimony.

Trial Comes Amid Rising US–Iran Tensions

The trial began days before a major escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran. Trump recently ordered strikes on Iranian targets in coordination with Israel, operations that reportedly killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several senior officials.

Trump cited alleged Iranian assassination plots against American leaders while justifying the attacks, saying, “I got him before he got me.”

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