Washington: A Pakistani man on trial in the United States has told a federal court that Iranian intelligence officers forced him to take part in a plan to assassinate senior American political leaders including President Donald Trump and former president Joe Biden.
The man, identified as Asif Merchant, is facing charges related to a murder for hire plot. The case is being heard in a federal court in Brooklyn, New York.
According to US prosecutors, Merchant tried to recruit people in the United States to carry out the killings in 2024. Investigators say he paid about 5000 dollars to individuals he believed were hired killers. However, those individuals were actually undercover agents working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Merchant was arrested in July 2024.
During the trial, Merchant told the court that he was not acting willingly. He claimed Iranian intelligence officers had pressured him to cooperate and threatened members of his family who were living in Iran. He said he felt he had no choice but to follow their instructions.
Merchant also told the jury that during conversations with an Iranian contact, the names of possible targets were mentioned. These included President Donald Trump, former president Joe Biden and former US ambassador Nikki Haley.
Prosecutors, however, have challenged Merchant’s claims. They say there is little evidence that he was forced to act and argue that he actively tried to recruit people to carry out the plot.
The case has attracted international attention because of ongoing tensions between the United States and Iran. US officials have previously warned that Iran or groups linked to it could try to target American leaders in retaliation for the 2020 killing of Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani.
Iran has denied any involvement in plans to assassinate American officials.