WASHINGTON: A Pakistani man accused of plotting to assassinate former President Donald Trump told a U.S. court on Wednesday that he was not acting voluntarily and was pressured by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The Justice Department alleges that Asif Merchant attempted to enlist individuals in the United States to carry out attacks against Trump and other American officials in retaliation for the U.S. killing of IRGC commander Qassem Soleimani. The IRGC is a powerful organization in Iran, wielding significant military, economic, and intelligence influence.
“I did not willingly participate,” Merchant reportedly told the court, according to the New York Times, explaining that he became involved to protect his family in Tehran.
Prosecutors dismissed his claims of coercion, saying there is no evidence supporting a duress defense, as noted in a letter to the judge dated 2024. Merchant reportedly testified that he was never explicitly ordered to target any individual, though his Iranian contact did mention three public figures during discussions in Tehran: Trump, then-President Joe Biden, and former U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley.
Merchant’s attorneys did not immediately comment, and the White House also had no immediate statement.
The trial began just days before Trump authorized U.S.-Israeli strikes in Iran that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other top Iranian officials. Trump referenced the alleged plot in a recent interview with ABC News, stating, “I got him before he got me,” while Tehran has denied targeting Trump or other U.S. officials.
