Pakistani Man Pleads Not Guilty to Alleged US Assassination Plot with Iran Ties

Asif Merchant faces charges of terrorism and murder-for-hire in a scheme targeting U.S. politicians, including Donald Trump.

Asif Merchant, 46, is accused of plotting to assassinate U.S. politicians in retaliation for the 2020 killing of Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani.
Merchant allegedly traveled through Iran and Pakistan before arriving in the U.S. to recruit individuals for the plot.
Prosecutors claim Merchant planned to steal documents, organize protests, and hire hitmen, paying $5,000 to undercover agents posing as hitmen.
Merchant has been detained since his arrest in Texas on July 15 and is being held in isolation at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center.
Iran's mission to the United Nations has denied any involvement, stating the alleged plot contradicts Tehran's policy of legally prosecuting Soleimani's murder.