U.S. thwarts assassination plot linked to Iranian retaliation

(MENAFN) Washington announced that it had successfully thwarted an assassination plot orchestrated by a Pakistani national with connections to Tehran, targeting U.S. government officials. This plot was reportedly in retaliation for the killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani by a U.S. raid in Baghdad in 2020. U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland emphasized the Department of Justice's ongoing efforts to counter Iranian attempts to avenge Soleimani’s death. The Pakistani national, identified as Asif Merchant, was arrested on July 12 and charged with attempted murder for hire. He was apprehended by FBI agents who had deceived him into believing they were the assassins he had hired for his scheme.

Merchant's arrest followed an elaborate sting operation where FBI agents posed as contract killers to uncover his plot. According to officials, Merchant was allegedly planning to assassinate U.S. government officials within the United States, with links to Iran highlighted by the fact that his family resides in Tehran. Although no specific targets were named, U.S. officials have stressed that there is no connection between this plot and a separate assassination attempt targeting former President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania. The Iranian mission to the United Nations has stated that it has not received any information from the U.S. regarding this case, and Iranian authorities have denied involvement. FBI Director Christopher Wray described the use of hired assassins as characteristic of Iranian tactics, underscoring the seriousness of the threat. 

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