I had no choice, Pakistani Asif Merchant claims in court, Iran had threatened his family:

News India Live, Digital Desk: During this high-profile trial going on in Brooklyn, New York, 47-year-old Asif Merchant presented his case in front of the jury on Wednesday. He admitted that he had planned to target American leaders, but the reason behind it was not his will but ‘Iranian pressure’.

1. “Conspiracy hatched to save the family” (Family Under Threat)

Asif Merchant told the court that he had not willingly joined the conspiracy:

Pressure from Iranian handler: Merchant claimed that his family (wife and children) living in Tehran were held in a hostage-like situation by Iranian intelligence agents.

Creepy meeting: He reported that a member of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), Mehrdad Yousefhad come to his house and threatened him. According to Merchant, Yusuf had made it clear to him that if he did not carry out this work in America, the fate of his family would be bad.

2. Three big names: Trump, Joe Biden and Nikki Haley

The evidence presented in court and Merchant’s testimony revealed who were the targets of this conspiracy:

Merchant testified that his Iranian handler did not give him the name of any one person, but three major leaders Names were suggested: Donald Trump, Joe Biden and Nikki Haley.

Search History: Prosecutors revealed that a search history of information related to the location and security arrangements of Trump’s rallies was found on Merchant’s laptop.

3. ‘Makeshift’ Hitman and a $5,000 Payout

Merchant admitted that he hired hitmen to $5,000 (approximately Rs 4.25 lakh) Advance payment was made.

Fake killer: The merchant whom he was giving money to as ‘mafia’ was actually American FBI undercover agent Were.

Failed conspiracy: Merchant said in court, “I knew I would not succeed. I was just pretending to save my family and was mentally prepared to get caught.”

4. Prosecution’s Argument

Government lawyers have vehemently rejected Merchant’s claim of ‘coercion’:

He argued that Merchant never sought help from US law enforcement agencies before being captured.

Prosecutors say Merchant was acting like a trained operative and had learned the techniques of ‘counter-surveillance’ himself.

5. Iran’s official stance

From the very beginning, Tehran has called these allegations ‘ridiculous’ and ‘propaganda’. Iran says that it is not involved in the conspiracy to assassinate the leaders of any country, although it has always reiterated its desire to avenge the death of General Qasim Suleimani.