A Pakistani man accused of plotting to kill  United States (US) President Donald Trump told jurors that he did not willingly collaborate with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in the plan, media reports have stated. 


The Justice Department has alleged that Asif Merchant attempted to recruit individuals in the US to target Trump and other American politicians. The alleged plot was reportedly in retaliation for Washington’s killing of IRGC commander Qassem Soleimani.

The IRGC, which combines military, economic, and intelligence influence, plays a central role in Iran’s operations.

Merchant told the court, “I was not wanting to do this so willingly,” adding that he participated in the plot to protect his family in Tehran. He stated that he had never been explicitly ordered to kill a particular individual, but that his Iranian handler had mentioned three potential targets during conversations in the Iranian capital.

Those named included Trump, Joe Biden, and Nikki Haley, a Republican candidate in the 2024 presidential election.

Prosecutors have dismissed Merchant’s claims, citing a “lack of evidentiary support for a true duress or coercion,” according to a letter sent to the judge overseeing the case.

The trial began last week, just days before Trump reportedly authorized strikes in Iran carried out alongside Israel. The strikes killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top officials.