SAEDNEWS: Iran has roundly rejected having any connection with a Pakistani individual, who has reportedly been arrested in the United States and charged with being behind a foiled plot to assassinate US politicians.
According to SAEDNEWS, In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Islamic Republic's permanent mission to the United Nations responded to recent reports about an alleged plot to assassinate former President Donald Trump. The reports, which emerged in American news outlets, claimed that an individual named Asif Merchant was arrested last month and charged with paying hitmen to carry out the plot.
According to the alleged FBI affidavit, Merchant had allegedly intended to target "current or former high-level officials like [former President Donald] Trump". However, the Iranian mission disputed the reports, stating that "We have not received any reports in connection with this issue from the US government."
The mission also took issue with the idea that the alleged plot was aimed at Trump, who had ordered the assassination of Iran's top anti-terror commander, General Qassem Soleimani, in 2020. "It is clear that this method contradicts the policy that is being led by the Iranian government towards legal prosecution of Martyr Soleimani's murderer," they said.
The controversy surrounding the alleged plot is linked to a previous assassination attempt on Trump's life in July 2020. Trump was injured in the attempt, but survived with minor injuries to his ear. The US government subsequently accused Iran of being behind the plot, which Iran denied.