Pakistani national Asif Merchant has been charged in the U.S. for a thwarted assassination plot targeting American officials, potentially including former President Donald Trump.
The 46-year-old, with alleged connections to Iran, is accused of hiring American residents to retaliate for the U.S. killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani. Merchant is currently detained in New York and faces charges of conspiracy to commit murder for hire.
Read more: Several U.S. Soldiers Were Injured in a Rocket Attack at an Iraqi Airbase
The White House has denied that the plot was aimed specifically at Donald Trump, although some Western media reports have suggested otherwise.
Last month, Trump narrowly escaped an assassination attempt during a Pennsylvania campaign rally. The shooter was neutralized by a Secret Service sniper, and investigators found no clear ideological motive. Former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned, citing communication failures that delayed the response to the attack.
Pakistan requests information about its national residing in the U.S.
The Pakistani Foreign Office is in touch with U.S. authorities, seeking further details about Asif Merchant, the Pakistani individual charged in the U.S. for a thwarted assassination plot.
