Brooklyn, March 5 -- A Pakistani national accused of conspiring to assassinate American political figures testified that Iranian intelligence operatives coerced him into a plot targeting Donald Trump and Joe Biden, the New York Post reported.

Asif Merchant, 47, provided his account in court on Wednesday, claiming he was pressured into the scheme to protect his relatives.

During his testimony in a Brooklyn federal court, the defendant, who is charged with terrorism and murder-for-hire, stated that he felt compelled to act. "I had no other options. My family was threatened," Merchant informed the jury.

The accused, a former banker, allegedly paid USD 5,000 to two undercover FBI agents who were masquerading as assassins.

According to the...