Former President Donald Trump nearly lost his life last month in an attack that killed one of his supporters at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Yet that didn't represent the only threat to Trump, as a foreign national was arrested one day earlier for organizing an assassination plot of his own. 

Pakistani man allegedly linked to Iran

According to ABC News, the Department of Justice has indicted Asif Merchant, a Pakistani man who allegedly spent time in Iran before traveling to the United States.

The 46-year-old individual is accused of attempting to hire a hitman who was working as a confidential informant for the FBI.

A Pakistani national with purported ties to Iran was arrested last month on charges he plotted to assassinate former Pres. Trump and multiple other public officials, according to a new criminal complaint. https://t.co/69iGcCpvQo pic.twitter.com/jxEkEjkofF

— ABC News (@ABC) August 7, 2024

ABC News noted that while Trump's name is not mentioned in the criminal complaint, an unnamed source indicated that the former president and other public officials were targets of the conspiracy.

"Specifically, Merchant requested men who could do the killing, approximately 25 people who could perform a protest as a distraction after the murder occurred, and a woman to do 'reconnaissance,'" ABC News quoted the complaint as asserting.

AG slams "Iran's lethal plotting against American citizens"

Attorney General Merrick Garland addressed the charges brought against Merchant's in a press release put out on  Tuesday.

"For years, the Justice Department has been working aggressively to counter Iran's brazen and unrelenting efforts to retaliate against American public officials for the killing of Iranian General Soleimani," Garland said.

"The Justice Department will spare no resource to disrupt and hold accountable those who would seek to carry out Iran's lethal plotting against American citizens, and will not tolerate attempts by an authoritarian regime to target American public officials and endanger America's national security," he added.

Breon Peace serves as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and he spoke up as well, saying, "Working on behalf of others overseas, Merchant planned the murder of U.S. government officials on American soil."

Personnel in New York, Houston, and Dallas praised

Meanwhile, Assistant Director Christie Curtis of the FBI New York Field Office explained, "Fortunately, the assassins Merchant allegedly tried to hire were undercover FBI Agents."

"This case underscores the dedication and formidable efforts of our agents, analysts and prosecutors in New York, Houston, and Dallas," Curtis maintained.

"Their success in neutralizing this threat not only prevented a tragic outcome but also reaffirms the FBI's commitment to protecting our nation and its citizens from both domestic and international threats," went on to stress.