(SQAUK) — The Justice Department has charged Pakistani national Asif Merchant, 46, with plotting to assassinate former President Donald Trump and other political figures. According to an indictment unsealed Tuesday, the suspect is accused of conspiring to commit the assassination on American soil. A closer examination of the circumstances raises troubling questions about the true origins of this plot and whether the CIA might be orchestrating a cover-up to shift suspicion toward Pakistan and possibly Iran. The narrative presented by the Justice Department seems straightforward: a Pakistani operative planned to assassinate former President Donald Trump and others using a hitman in retaliation for the U.S. killing of Qassem Soleimani. However, this explanation conveniently fits with ongoing geopolitical tensions and existing hostilities, making Iran an easy target for blame. The simplicity of this narrative raises the question: is it too convenient? On January 3, 2020, Qassem Soleimani, the Iranian Major General in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and commander of its Quds Force, was killed in a targeted U.S. drone strike near Baghdad International Airport in Iraq. The strike was ordered by then-President Donald Trump, who cited Soleimani’s involvement in orchestrating attacks against U.S. personnel and interests in the region as justification for the operation. This event significantly escalated tensions between the United States and Iran. Consider the historical context of CIA operations. The agency has a long-standing reputation for covert activities manipulating international perceptions and outcomes. From the Iran-Contra affair to the orchestrated coups in foreign nations, the CIA’s playbook is filled with examples of strategic deception. Could the alleged Trump assassination plot be another entry in this playbook, designed to shift focus away from domestic failings or undisclosed operations?