A Pakistani man with Iran ties has pleaded not guilty in a murder-for-hire plot to assassinate US politicians.

On Monday, a Pakistani national with suspected links to Iran entered a not guilty plea to charges of conspiring to assassinate U.S. politicians on U.S. soil.

On Monday, Asif Merchant, also known as "Asif Raza Merchant," entered a plea of not guilty at his arraignment in Brooklyn federal court in New York.

On Sept. 10, he was charged with attempting to carry out a terrorist act that crossed national borders and involved murder-for-hire as part of a plot to assassinate a politician or U.S. government official on U.S. soil.

According to allegations, the merchant paid undercover agents to carry out his plan for assassinations. While the indictment does not specify any alleged targets, Senator Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has suggested that former President Trump, President Biden, and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley could have been potential targets.

The FBI arrested Merchant when he attempted to exit the country in July. His next court date is November 6th.

At the hearing on Monday, Merchant wore a tan jumpsuit with an orange shirt underneath and displayed a stern, serious demeanor while sitting between his attorney and interpreter, as observed by Planet Chronicle.

Avraham Moskowitz, Merchant's lawyer, stated outside the courthouse that his client would plead not guilty and bail would not be set on Monday before the hearing.

Merchant confirmed that he had read the grand jury charges against him, discussed them with his lawyer, and that everything was translated into Urdu.

Moskowitz informed the judge that Merchant is fluent in English, allowing for effective communication. However, an interpreter was present to ensure nothing was missed in "abundance of caution."

The lawyer informed the judge that his client had pleaded not guilty before raising issues about the living conditions at the MDC-Metropolitan Detention Center's Special Administrative Measures unit. He stated that Merchant is confined in a small, windowless room for most of the time and has lost between 15 and 20 pounds due to not receiving the required halal diet for Shiite Muslims.

Moskowitz stated three times that these conditions were "torture for him." In response, the government claimed they were unaware of these problems.

The Justice Department will not tolerate Iran's efforts to target US public officials and endanger national security, as demonstrated by the terrorism and murder-for-hire charges against Merchant.

"The FBI Director Chris Wray stated that the murder-for-hire plot, which was allegedly orchestrated by a Pakistani national with close ties to Iran, is a serious threat to national security. The plot is believed to be straight out of the Iranian regime's playbook. Wray added that the FBI will use all its resources to protect Americans from terrorists, and that protecting citizens from foreign-directed plots to kill public officials or any U.S. citizen remains the agency's top priority."

In April, after returning from Iran, Merchant contacted a person in the United States from Pakistan, whom he believed could help him execute a plan to assassinate a politician or government official. This person informed law enforcement about Merchant's behavior and became a confidential informant.

In June, Merchant discussed his assassination plan with the source in New York. He claimed that it would be a continuous effort.

Merchant signaled that the opportunity was related to a killing by making a "finger gun" motion with his hand, according to court documents. He stated that the intended victims would be targeted in the United States. Merchant instructed the source to arrange meetings with individuals who he could hire to carry out these actions.

In the meeting, Merchant discussed assassination plans and questioned the source on how to kill a target in different scenarios, according to court documents.

Merchant allegedly declared that the assassination would take place after he exited the US and he would communicate with the source from abroad using coded language. The source inquired if Merchant had spoken to the unidentified "party" back home with whom he was collaborating. Merchant affirmed that he had and the party instructed him to "finalize" the plan and depart the US.

In June, Merchant met with individuals posing as hit men in New York, according to court documents. Merchant disclosed to these undercover officers that he required their assistance in three specific tasks: the theft of documents, organizing protests at political events, and carrying out an assassination on a "political figure."

Allegedly, the merchant claimed that the hit men would receive instructions on who to kill either in the last week of August or the first week of September, following the merchant's departure from the United States.

Merchant paid $5,000 to undercover officers in New York on June 21, believing them to be hit men, and one of the officers stated, "Now we’re bonded," to which Merchant responded, "Yes." The officer then stated, "Now we know we’re going forward. We’re doing this," to which Merchant responded, "Yes, absolutely."

Law enforcement agents arrested Merchant before he could leave the country on July 12, the same day he made flight arrangements to depart the U.S.

On July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania, an assassination attempt on Trump was thwarted when law enforcement shot and killed the would-be assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks.

On Sunday, there was a suspected second assassination attempt on the former president at his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, according to authorities.

That suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh, made his first court appearance Monday.

Planet Chronicle' Sandy Ibrahim and Eric Shawn contributed to this report.