A federal jury has delivered a guilty verdict against Asif Merchant, an operative trained by the Iranian government, for his role in a sophisticated “murder-for-hire” plot targeting high-ranking U.S. politicians and government officials.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York announced the conviction on Friday, March 6, 2026, following a trial that exposed the defendant’s ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and his attempts to orchestrate assassinations on American soil.
The Scope of the Plot
Merchant, a 48-year-old national of Pakistan and Iran, was convicted of attempting to commit an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries and murder for hire. According to evidence presented by the prosecution, Merchant was recruited and trained by the IRGC in intelligence tradecraft and countersurveillance.
His mission, which began in earnest in early 2024, was to seek “vengeance” for the death of Qasem Soleimani. The trial revealed that Merchant’s intended targets included:
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President Donald J. Trump
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President Joseph Biden
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U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley
“This man landed on American soil hoping to kill President Trump — instead, he was met with the might of American law enforcement,” stated Attorney General Pamela Bondi.
From Recruitment to Arrest
The conspiracy began to unravel when Merchant contacted an individual in New York to help facilitate the hits. That individual became a confidential source for the FBI, leading to a sting operation where Merchant unknowingly met with undercover law enforcement officers acting as hitmen.
During these meetings, Merchant outlined a three-pronged strategy for chaos:
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Theft of sensitive documents.
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Organizing protests at political rallies.
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The assassination of a “political person.”
Merchant was caught on record performing internet searches for political rally locations and scouting security protocols to report back to his IRGC handlers. On June 21, 2024, he paid a $5,000 cash advance to the undercover officers, telling them “absolutely” when asked if they were committed to moving forward with the murders.
“At the direction of the Iranian regime, Asif Merchant plotted to assassinate a United States politician or government official on American soil,” said James C. Barnacle, Jr., FBI Assistant Director in Charge. “This foiled scheme… sought to strike at the heart of our democracy.”
Judicial Outcome
Merchant was apprehended by federal agents on July 12, 2024, just as he prepared to flee the country. Despite his attempts to use code words and communicate from overseas, the joint efforts of the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force and various field offices across the country ensured the plot was neutralized before any harm occurred.
Merchant now faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella, Jr. praised the verdict as a completion of the mission to protect the nation, stating, “Today, with Merchant’s conviction, that failure [of the Iranian regime] is complete.”
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