NEW YORK — A Pakistani man accused of plotting to assassinate U.S. politicians testified in court that Iranian agents recruited him to plan attacks against President Trump, Joe Biden, and Nikki Haley. The suspect, Asif Merchant, 47, gave his testimony on March 4, 2026, at Brooklyn Federal Court, where he faces terrorism charges and murder-for-hire. Merchant told the jury that he was forced to participate in the plan because his family was threatened. He said: “I had no other choice. My family was threatened.”

Three Political Targets

According to the testimony, an Iranian handler named Mehrdad Yousef, believed to be a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), instructed Merchant to travel to the U.S. in April 2024 to carry out the assassination plot. Merchant said this individual provided three potential targets: President Trump Joe Biden Nikki Haley At the time, Trump and Biden were the two leading candidates in the 2024 U.S. presidential election.

Plot Discovered by the FBI

According to court records, Merchant met two FBI agents posing as hitmen at a motel in Queens in June 2024. In a video recording of the meeting, Merchant was heard saying: “This is the target. How is he going to die?” He is accused of paying $5,000 to the two “hitmen” to carry out the plan.

Suspect Claimed He Knew He Would Be Caught

Merchant testified that he did not actually want to carry out the assassinations and believed he would be caught before the plan could unfold. “I didn't think I could succeed,” he said in court. He also admitted that when he handed over the money, he thought that no one would commit murder for a sum of only $5,000.

Facing Life Imprisonment

Merchant, a native of Pakistan and former banker who failed in a banana export business, stated that he began working for Iranian agents in late 2022 or early 2023, helping to launder money to evade U.S. sanctions. He pleaded not guilty to terrorism and murder-for-hire charges following his arrest in August 2024. If convicted, Merchant could face life in prison.

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