US Convicts Man Over Assassination Plot Linked To Iran

A U.S. federal jury has convicted a Pakistani national linked to Iranian intelligence of murder for hire and attempting to carry out an act of terrorism in connection with a plot to assassinate American political figures, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Prosecutors said the suspect, described as an operative of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, travelled to the United States in April 2024 to recruit individuals for a series of criminal activities, including stealing sensitive documents, staging protests at political rallies, and assassinating a U.S. government official or politician.

Court testimony revealed that the Pakistani national met individuals he believed were hired killers in New York in June 2024. Those individuals were, in fact, undercover law-enforcement agents, and investigators said the plot was stopped before any attack could occur.

Authorities said he paid the purported hitmen $5,000 in cash as an advance payment and discussed different scenarios for killing a political target despite security surrounding the individual.

Investigators also said the suspect gathered information about U.S. political rallies and reported on security arrangements to handlers overseas.

He was arrested in July 2024 before leaving the United States. Officials said the planned assassination was to take place after he had departed the country, with further instructions to be sent through coded communications.

During the trial, the defendant admitted he had been sent to the United States by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard to arrange political assassinations and other operations.

FBI Director Kash Patel said the suspect attempted to hire someone to kill a U.S. politician or government official, but the plan was stopped before it could be carried out. “This was not the first attempt by Iran to harm our citizens on U.S. soil,” Patel added, noting that law-enforcement agencies remain committed to preventing such threats.

Officials said the Pakistani national now faces up to life imprisonment when sentenced.

There has been no reaction from the Iranian government to the conviction. Tehran has previously denied involvement in plots targeting U.S. officials. The conviction comes as U.S.–Iran tensions escalate, with ongoing military strikes and retaliatory actions across the Middle East.