A Pakistani man accused of planning to kill President Donald Trump told jurors on Wednesday that he did not willingly work with Iran’s elite ​Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps to devise the plot, media said.

The Justice ‌Department accused Asif Merchant of trying to recruit people in the United States in the plan targeting Trump and other U.S. politicians in retaliation for Washington’s killing of the ​Corps’ top commander, Qassem Soleimani, Reuters reported.

The Corps has a central role in Iran, with ​its combination of military and economic power and an intelligence ⁠network.

“I was not wanting to do this so willingly,” the New York ​Times quoted Merchant as telling a court during his trial for terrorism and ​murder-for-hire charges, adding that he participated to protect his family in Tehran.

Prosecutors rejected Merchant’s claim, citing a “lack of evidentiary support for a true duress or coercion,” according to a ​letter sent on Tuesday to the judge in the case dating from ​2024.

According to the newspaper, Merchant said he had never been ordered to kill a specific ‌person ⁠but that his Iranian handler named three people in the course of conversations in the Iranian capital.

In addition to Trump, these were Joe Biden, the president at the time; Nikki Haley, who unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for ​the 2024 presidential ​election.

Lawyers for Merchant ⁠did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The White House did not immediately comment.

The trial started last ​week, days before Trump ordered strikes on Iran carried out ​with Israel ⁠that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and top officials in the Middle Eastern nation.

Trump cited an alleged Iranian plot when he spoke to ABC News on ⁠Sunday about ​a joint U.S.-Israeli operation that killed Khamenei, ​saying, “I got him before he got me.”

Tehran has denied accusations that it targeted Trump and other U.S. ​officials.

The U.S. Department of State has issued an extraordinary directive urging American citizens to immediately depart more than a dozen countries across the Middle East, citing rapidly deteriorating security conditions following joint U.S.-Israeli strikes that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The sweeping advisory comes as retaliatory attacks, embassy closures and major air travel disruptions fuel growing instability across the region.

U.S. officials say the move reflects Washington’s assessment that the crisis could become prolonged and highly volatile, with potential consequences for global security and energy markets.

Broad Regional Advisory

The evacuation notice covers 14 countries and territories, including close U.S. partners such as Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. It marks one of the most expansive regional security alerts in recent history.

Officials described “serious safety risks” following coordinated weekend strikes on Iranian targets and subsequent retaliatory operations.

Americans have been urged to leave using commercial flights while they remain available, rather than waiting for potential government-organized evacuations should conditions worsen.

From Targeted Strike to Regional Crisis

The evacuation order follows the killing of Khamenei in coordinated operations that reportedly also targeted other senior Iranian officials. Tehran’s response has included strikes on U.S. and Israeli-linked sites, as well as threats directed at Gulf states and key energy infrastructure.

Concerns have intensified over security in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route for global oil supplies. Rising tensions in the waterway have already driven up energy prices amid fears of further disruption.

The United States has activated an inter-agency emergency task force to manage the unfolding crisis. President Donald Trump indicated the confrontation could extend beyond a month, underscoring expectations of sustained instability.

International Appeals for Restraint

Global leaders have called for urgent de-escalation. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres both urged restraint and renewed diplomatic engagement, warning of severe humanitarian and security consequences.

Russia and China condemned the strike that killed Khamenei as a breach of international law, while France pressed Iran to return to negotiations over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. The European Union has placed its Red Sea naval mission on heightened alert to safeguard maritime routes amid fears of spillover attacks.

Guidance for U.S. Citizens

Americans in affected countries are advised to contact 24-hour State Department assistance lines and enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive updates. Officials stress the urgency of departing while commercial flights are still operating, as mounting airspace closures and cancellations have already left large numbers of travelers stranded.

Analysts warn that transport disruptions and security risks could persist for days or weeks, urging U.S. citizens to prepare contingency plans in case of extended regional instability.

Only one in four Americans approves of the U.S. strikes that killed Iran’s leader, while about half — including one in four Republicans — believe President Donald Trump is too willing to use military force, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll that concluded on Sunday.

Some 27% of respondents said they approved of the strikes, while 43% disapproved and 29% were not sure. About nine in 10 respondents said they had heard at least a little about the strikes, which began early on Saturday.

The poll showed that 56% of Americans think Trump, who has also ordered strikes in Venezuela, Syria and Nigeria in recent months, is too willing to use military force to advance U.S. interests. The vast majority of Democrats – 87% – held this view, as did 23% of Republicans and 60% of people who don’t identify with either political party.

The poll was conducted during the strikes on Iran by the U.S. and Israel, and closed before the U.S. military announced the first American casualties in the operation. Three U.S. service members have been killed and five more seriously wounded since the strikes, which plunged the Middle East into a new, unpredictable conflict.

While 55% of Republicans said they approved of the strikes and 13% disapproved, the Reuters/Ipsos poll found 42% in Trump’s party said they would be less likely to support the Iran campaign if it leads to “U.S. troops in the Middle East being killed or injured.”

Trump’s presidential approval rating ticked slightly lower to 39%, one percentage point below a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted February 18-23.

The strikes on Iran began three days before the first primaries of the U.S. midterm elections, which will determine whether Trump’s Republicans maintain their majorities in Congress for the next two years. Reuters/Ipsos polls have consistently shown that voters’ top concern heading into the elections is the economy, far more than foreign affairs.

Some 45% of poll respondents, including 34% of Republicans and 44% of independents, said they would be less likely to support the campaign against Iran if gas or oil prices increased in the United States.

Prices for Brent crude surged 10% to about $80 a barrel in over-the-counter trade on Sunday, oil traders said. Analysts predicted prices could climb as high as $100 due to the latest conflict.

The most recent Reuters/Ipsos poll gathered responses online from 1,282 U.S. adults nationwide. It had a margin of error of three percentage points.