The U.S. Attorney’s Office has announced formal charges against a Pakistani man connected to the Iranian regime, accused of attempting to assassinate a U.S. official in retaliation for the killing of Qassem Soleimani, the former commander of the IRGC’s Quds Force. His arrest was announced on August 6.
According to AFP, the U.S. Department of Justice stated on Wednesday that 46-year-old Asif Reza Merchant allegedly sought to hire a hitman to assassinate a U.S. politician or government official.
Earlier, U.S. officials had said that the Pakistani man had wives and children in both Pakistan and Iran. It remains unclear how the Iranian regime recruited this Pakistani citizen for their plot.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland stated, as these charges against Asif Merchant for terrorism and murder-for-hire demonstrate, we will continue to hold accountable those who seek to execute Iran’s deadly plots against Americans.
U.S. Attorney Breon Peace added, as charged, Merchant orchestrated a plot to assassinate U.S. politicians and government officials. Today’s indictment sends a message to terrorists both here and abroad.
FBI Director Christopher Wray stated that the Pakistani man had close ties with the Iranian regime, and the murder-for-hire plot comes straight from the playbook of the Iranian regime.
Another FBI official revealed that the assassins Merchant allegedly tried to hire were actually undercover FBI agents.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced that after spending time in Iran, the Pakistani citizen entered the U.S. from Pakistan and contacted someone he believed could help him with the plan to kill a U.S. politician or government official. However, that person reported the plot to law enforcement.
Asif Reza Merchant was arrested on July 12 while attempting to leave the United States.
The Iranian regime’s delegation to the United Nations stated last month that it had not received any report on this matter from the U.S. government.
In August 2022, the U.S. accused a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of plotting to assassinate John Bolton, the former U.S. National Security Advisor.
The Department of Justice stated that Shahram Poursafi, who remains at large, had offered to pay an individual in the U.S. $300,000 to kill Bolton.
Republican Senator Chuck Grassley released FBI documents showing that individuals supported by the Iranian regime sought to assassinate several prominent U.S. political figures in retaliation for the killing of Qassem Soleimani.
The documents, provided to Senator Grassley, show that the Iranian regime targeted several U.S. politicians and military officials, including President Joe Biden, former President Donald Trump, and former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley, who is also a former presidential candidate.
Earlier, Michael McCaul, the Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, described the reports of the Iranian regime’s plot to kill a U.S. politician or official through a Pakistani national as “horrific.”
This senior lawmaker said that the Iranian government is brazenly attempting to carry out terrorist activities on U.S. soil, adding that the arrest of the suspect is a good step, but the U.S. government must take significant actions to hold Iran accountable for this plot and to prevent future schemes.
