A Texas man pleaded guilty yesterday to plotting to assassinate Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States, agreeing to hire what he thought was a drug dealer in Mexico last year for $1.5 million to carry out the attack with explosives at a Washington restaurant.
Manssor Arbabsiar, 57, entered the plea to two conspiracy charges and a murder-for-hire count in Manhattan federal court, where Judge John F. Keenan repeatedly asked Arbabsiar whether he intended to kill the ambassador.
Arbabsiar, a US citizen who holds an Iranian passport, said that he did.
Assistant US Attorney Edward Kim asked Arbabsiar if Iranian military officials based in Iran were involved in the plot. Arbabsiar said they were.
He faces up to 25 years in prison.