A Pakistani businessman accused of plotting to assassinate Donald Trump testified Wednesday that Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps coerced him into the scheme by threatening his family members.

Asif Merchant, 47, took the witness stand in his own defense at Brooklyn federal court, where he faces terrorism and murder-for-hire charges. Speaking through an Urdu translator, he told jurors he participated in the alleged plot only because he feared for the safety of his wife and adopted daughter who live in Tehran.

Merchant is accused of working with Iranian operatives to target Trump and other U.S. politicians in 2024. Federal prosecutors allege he was part of a murder-for-hire scheme backed by Iran to kill American political figures.

The case was disrupted when FBI agents, posing as potential assassins, made contact with Merchant during the investigation. It is unusual for defendants in such high-profile terrorism cases to testify in their own defense.

Merchant's testimony centers on his claim that he was an unwilling participant who felt compelled to cooperate with Iranian agents due to threats against his family members residing in Iran. The trial is ongoing in Brooklyn federal court.