Pakistani businessman Asif Merchant, accused of plotting an assassination attempt against President Donald Trump in the US, made an interesting statement in court.
According to him, he was forced to join this plot due to pressure from Iran.
Modern.az reports that, according to "The Guardian" newspaper, Merchant stated in a Brooklyn, New York court that he agreed to cooperate with the Iranian side because they threatened to kill his wife and child.
The accused stated that in 2024, a person named Merdad Yusef, linked to SEPAH, instructed him to go to the US, find criminals, and organize a contract killing. Individuals such as Donald Trump, then-President Joe Biden, and Republican Party politician Nikki Haley were named as targets.
The plan was exposed after Merchant paid 5,000 dollars to potential perpetrators. It was revealed that these individuals were actually Federal Bureau of Investigation agents, and he was arrested in the summer of 2024 while attempting to return to Pakistan from Texas.
The court proceedings for the case began last week.
