New York, March 7 (NationPress) A Pakistani national has been found guilty of conspiring with Iran to assassinate former US President Donald Trump, a ruling that coincides with ongoing tensions between Washington and Tehran.

A Federal jury determined on Friday that Asif Merchant attempted to enlist assassins to eliminate Trump and potentially other political figures, operating under the guidance of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).

The 47-year-old now faces the prospect of a life sentence at his upcoming sentencing.

The assassination plan was intended for 2024, coinciding with the presidential election campaign, but was thwarted when a fellow Pakistani he contacted was revealed to be an informant for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

“The FBI and our partners successfully disrupted that lethal scheme,” remarked the agency's Director Kash Patel following the verdict.

“This isn't the first instance of Iranian attempts to endanger our citizens on American soil; previous efforts have also been thwarted,” he added.

Merchant was apprehended in July 2024 while departing the US and was charged the following month.

On Wednesday, War Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the US had eliminated the Iranian leader behind the conspiracy, though he did not disclose the individual's identity.

The trial, which commenced last week at a Brooklyn Federal court, was scheduled long before the current Iran conflict escalated.

Judge Eric Komitee, overseeing the trial, noted the peculiar timing, stating, “This trial is unfolding during turbulent times.”

During proceedings, Merchant acknowledged his involvement in the conspiracy, claiming it stemmed from threats made by Iran against his family in that nation.

He revealed that he underwent espionage training from the IRGC and was presented with two other names, in addition to Trump, as potential targets—President Joe Biden and Nikki Haley, the Indian American politician who initially sought the Republican presidential nomination.

Merchant had two spouses, one residing in Pakistan and the other in Iran, which he frequently visited and where he was recruited by the IRGC.

The prosecution asserted that he began collaborating with the IRGC in Pakistan around 2022 or 2023 and later admitted being dispatched to the US in 2023 to scout for IRGC recruits.

Prosecutor Nina Gupta indicated in court on Monday that Merchant disguised his activities under the pretense of running a clothing business, intending to target those he believed opposed “Pakistan and the Muslim world.”

He testified that his mission evolved the following year, sending him back to the US to recruit “Mafia” associates to steal documents, orchestrate protests, and facilitate the assassination of one of the three identified politicians.

According to the prosecution, he reached out to a contact in New York named Nadeem Ali for assistance with the scheme.

Ali, an FBI informant, alerted the agency, leading undercover agents to pose as assassins for hire, as per the prosecution's case.

Merchant provided the undercover agents with a $5,000 advance for the execution of the assassination and was recorded outlining the plan on a napkin in a New York hotel room.

In a covert recording of a meeting with the undercover agents presented in court, Merchant stated, “Perhaps you could, say, kill someone.”

He further added, “Maybe it’s a political figure.”

The prosecution noted that he researched locations where Trump was scheduled to hold rallies.

In an unrelated incident, just a day after Merchant's arrest, a man attempted to assassinate Trump during a rally in Pennsylvania, narrowly missing him and grazing his ear with a bullet.