An Iranian intelligence operative has been convicted by a US federal jury for terrorism and murder-for-hire offences linked to a foiled plot to assassinate American political figures, including President Donald Trump. Prosecutors said the man was sent to the United States by Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to organise political killings and other covert operations on American soil.
The US Department of Justice said Asif Merchant, also known as Asif Raza Merchant, was found guilty of attempting to commit an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries and arranging murder for hire. Merchant faces up to life in prison. Authorities said he travelled to the United States in April 2024 with orders from the IRGC to recruit operatives and prepare an assassination plot targeting US politicians and government officials.
