\n\u201cHe did not tell me exactly who it is, but he told me \u2014 he named three people: Donald Trump, Joe Biden and Nikki Haley,\u201d Merchant said in court.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Prosecutors, however, argue that Merchant continued working on the plan even after U.S. immigration officials questioned him at Houston\u2019s airport in April 2024 about his travel to Iran. Investigators say he researched Trump rally locations, drafted plans for a shooting at a political event and gathered money to pay the supposed hit men.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In court filings, prosecutors also noted that Merchant never contacted law enforcement before his arrest and did not initially tell FBI agents that he had been acting under duress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If convicted, Merchant faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Part of broader Iran-linked threats<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The case is one of several alleged plots tied to Iran targeting former Trump administration officials in the years following the 2020 U.S. drone strike that killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani. U.S. officials say Iran has sought revenge for the strike by attempting to target Trump and other senior American figures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another Justice Department case filed in 2024 accused an Afghan national, Farhad Shakeri, of working with Iran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to organize a separate murder-for-hire scheme aimed at Trump and other targets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Iranian government has repeatedly denied involvement in assassination plots against U.S. leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Authorities have also emphasized that other attempts on Trump\u2019s life during the 2024 campaign \u2014 including the shooting at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania \u2014 were not connected to Iran and were carried out by individuals acting alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trial unfolds amid rising tensions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Merchant\u2019s trial comes during a period of heightened conflict between the United States and Iran. The proceedings are unfolding as a widening regional war involving Iran continues, with U.S. prosecutors arguing that the alleged plot reflects Iran\u2019s willingness to conduct covert operations on American soil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n