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Hidden camera video outlines alleged Iran-linked plot to kill Trump

Feb 27, 2026, 23:13 GMT+0Updated: 01:42 GMT+0

A newly released undercover video shown in a Brooklyn courtroom captures an alleged Iran-linked operative describing a 2024 plot to assassinate Donald Trump.

The operative who prosecutors say tried to hire two men to kill Trump for $5,000 upfront demonstrated the plan by placing a vape pen on a napkin to signify his “target,” the hidden camera video released by the New York Post shows.

“This is the target. How will it die?” Asif Merchant said in the meeting.

Merchant, 47, a Pakistani national who entered the United States in April 2024, is accused of attempting to recruit individuals he believed were hired killers.

Prosecutors said he offered cash payments and discussed staging a protest near a campaign rally to create confusion and allow the attackers to escape.

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Iran negotiators ordered to return after internal rift over Islamabad talks
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EXCLUSIVE

Iran negotiators ordered to return after internal rift over Islamabad talks

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INSIGHT

Iran's digital economy battered by prolonged blackout

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ANALYSIS

US blockade enters murky phase as tankers spoof signals and buyers hesitate

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ANALYSIS

Why the $100 billion Hormuz toll revenue is a myth

5

US tightens financial squeeze on Iran, warns banks over oil money flows

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    INSIGHT

    Hardliners push Hormuz ‘red line’ as US blockade tests Iran’s leverage

  • Ideology may be fading in Iran, but not in Kashmir's ‘Mini Iran'
    INSIGHT

    Ideology may be fading in Iran, but not in Kashmir's ‘Mini Iran'

  • War damage amounts to $3,000 per Iranian, with blockade set to add to losses
    INSIGHT

    War damage amounts to $3,000 per Iranian, with blockade set to add to losses

  • Why the $100 billion Hormuz toll revenue is a myth
    ANALYSIS

    Why the $100 billion Hormuz toll revenue is a myth

  • US blockade targets Iran oil boom amid regional disruption
    ANALYSIS

    US blockade targets Iran oil boom amid regional disruption

  • Iran's digital economy battered by prolonged blackout
    INSIGHT

    Iran's digital economy battered by prolonged blackout

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Family receives body of protester missing 50 days with signs of violence

Feb 27, 2026, 23:08 GMT+0

The body of a protester who disappeared during the demonstrations in Tehran last month has been returned to his family nearly fifty days later, according to information collected by Iran International from relatives and witnesses.

The victim, Vahid Lazer Monouchehri, had gone missing since widespread protests on January 8,9.

His body was handed over to relatives on Thursday with marks of gunfire and blows from a butcher’s cleaver, the family said.

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Fake CEO and cat photos help uncover billion-dollar IRGC crypto network

Feb 27, 2026, 23:06 GMT+0

Two UK-registered cryptocurrency exchanges allegedly processed billions of dollars for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards using a fabricated chief executive built from stock footage, according to an investigation by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP).

The report said the companies, Zedcex and Zedxion, listed a supposed director and person with significant control named “Elizabeth Newman,” but investigators found no passport records, migration history or other evidence that such a person exists.

Promotional materials for the exchanges used stock video footage labeled “Pretty black woman talking to camera” from Shutterstock to portray the fictitious executive, while other “team members” also appeared to be generic stock clips.

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FBI vows to free Americans after Iran wrongful detention designation

Feb 27, 2026, 22:50 GMT+0

The FBI said on Friday it is coordinating with federal and international partners to return Americans held in Iran and prosecute their captors, following the United States’ designation of Iran as a State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention.

"Today, the U.S. has designated Iran as a State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention. The FBI remains committed to working with our federal and international partners to return Americans who are being held captive home and bring their captors to justice. The Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell (HRFC) coordinates efforts dedicated to recovering Americans held hostage abroad and supporting the hostages and their families during and after release," FBI official account posted on X.

Family receives body of protester missing 50 days with signs of violence

Feb 27, 2026, 22:29 GMT+0

The body of a protester who disappeared during the demonstrations in Tehran last month has been returned to his family nearly fifty days later, according to information collected by Iran International from relatives and witnesses.

The victim, Vahid Lazer Monouchehri, had gone missing since widespread protests on January 8,9.

His body was handed over to relatives on Thursday with marks of gunfire and blows from a butcher’s cleaver, the family said.

Continue reading

Senator Risch praises Iran's wrongful detention designation

Feb 27, 2026, 22:04 GMT+0

Senator Jim Risch, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman on Friday welcomed Secretary Rubio's designation of Iran as the first State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention, highlighting its deserved status.

"Iran is the first ever country to be designated a State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention — and no nation is more deserving of that grim title," Risch said. "Too many Americans have suffered at the hands of the regime, and I'm glad to see the Administration use the authorities given to them by my Countering Wrongful Detention Act."