Pakistani National Charged with Plotting to Assassinate U.S. Official on Behalf of Tehran

The U.S. Justice Department and prosecutors have officially charged a Pakistani man linked to the Islamic Republic of Iran with attempting to assassinate a senior American official in retaliation for the killing of Qassem Soleimani. Aasif Reza Merchant, 46, was accused on Wednesday, September 12, of trying to hire individuals to kill the American official. He was arrested on July 13 of this year while attempting to leave the U.S. Following the indictment, Merrick Garland, the U.S. Attorney General, stated that Iran's attempts to target U.S. government officials and jeopardize national security would not be tolerated. Breon Peace, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, also remarked that the indictment against Merchant serves as a 'message to terrorists inside and outside the U.S.' The identity of the senior American official that Merchant allegedly sought to hire a mercenary to kill has not been disclosed. Christopher Wray, the FBI Director, warned about the plot to hire a mercenary for the assassination of American officials at Iran's request, noting that Merchant had ties to Iran. The U.S. Justice Department reported that Merchant spent some time in Iran before returning to his home country and entered the U.S. from Pakistan in April (early spring of this year) and contacted the individual because he believed he could assist him in plotting to kill a politician or a U.S. government official. Another FBI official revealed that the person Merchant contacted to hire for the assassination was an undercover agent of the agency. According to the indictment, Merchant began making payments to the 'mercenary,' giving the first installment of $5,000, and stated that after he safely left the U.S., he would inform the individual who they needed to kill. Investigations into Merchant's actions were conducted in Dallas, Houston, Tampa, Boston, Washington, Chicago, and Albany, New York. The Iranian diplomatic mission denied any connection between Merchant and Iran, stating that Iran's policy in pursuing those responsible for Qassem Soleimani's killing is not through such means. Donald Trump had ordered the killing of Qassem Soleimani, the then-commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which was carried out on January 3, 2020, during his trip to Baghdad. Following an armed assassination attempt on Donald Trump on July 14 of this year in Butler, Pennsylvania, the U.S. Justice Department announced that no evidence was found linking the armed assailant, Thomas Matthew Crooks, to Iran's efforts. The FBI has yet to determine the motive of the 20-year-old assailant, who was killed by American protective forces. Two years ago, the U.S. Justice Department charged Shahram Poursafi, a member of the Revolutionary Guard, who is reportedly in Iran, with conspiracy to assassinate John Bolton, a former U.S. National Security Advisor, by offering $300,000 to a mercenary to kill Bolton.