A man accused of plotting to assassinate US President Donald Trump and other senior politicians told a court on Wednesday that he was under pressure from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to orchestrate their assassinations.
Pakistani national Asif Raza Merchant, 47, was charged in September 2024 with attempting to hire a hitman to assassinate unidentified American politicians.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges, writes € news.
It is known that the IRGC - Iran's elite military organization under the direct command of the Ayatollah - has previously sought to assassinate senior American officials, including Trump, following the death of one of their commanders, Qasem Soleimani, in a US drone strike.
During his trial on Wednesday, Merchant testified that he was forced to participate in the plot to protect his family in Tehran from the IRGC, adding that he thought he would be caught before anyone was killed.
He said he was never ordered to kill a specific person, but noted that his Iranian contact had mentioned three people in connection with the plot: Trump, former President Joe Biden and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley.
"My family was under threat and I had to do this," Merchant told the court.
"I didn't want to do this so willingly," he added.
Otherwise, Merchant's trial comes as tensions in the Middle East, sparked by US-Israeli attacks on Iran, continue into their sixth day. /Telegraph/
