Recently, a Pakistani man with alleged ties to Iran has been charged in the United States for a foiled plot to assassinate a US politician or government officials. Asif Merchant, aged 46, was accused of recruiting individuals in the US to carry out the plot in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s top commander Qassem Soleimani in 2020.
The Justice Department stated that Merchant, who had spent time in Iran before coming to the US, was charged with murder for hire in federal court in New York. FBI investigators suspect that former president Donald Trump and other US officials were the targets of the assassination plan. Although court documents did not specify the targets, Merchant allegedly mentioned to a law enforcement informant about “security all around” one of the targets.
In a separate incident, a 20-year-old gunman shot at Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, but was swiftly neutralized by a Secret Service sniper. Investigations revealed that the gunman acted alone, with no clear ideological or political affiliation. The failed response by authorities prompted resignations and raised concerns about communication protocols.
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