New York - A Pakistani man with alleged links to Iran pleaded not guilty on Monday to charges of plotting to assassinate a US leader in retaliation for the killing of Iran's top military commander Qassem Soleimani.

Asif Merchant (46) had entered a plea in a Brooklyn court on charges of attempted terrorism across national borders and contract killing. The judge ordered the accused to be kept in custody during the hearing.

'The accused has lived in Iran'

Government prosecutors say Merchant spent time in Iran recruiting people to join the plot before coming to the US. Merchant told a confidential informant that he planned to steal documents and organize protests at a location in the US.

A person on condition of anonymity said that the accused had named Donald Trump as a potential target. However, the alleged target is not named in the court document and no attack was carried out. It is worth noting that as President, Trump had approved the drone attack on Soleimani in 2020. Merchant was arrested in Texas on 15 July.