Iranian Regime Targets Journalists Abroad, Activists Say

Iranian journalist Masih Alinejad was in her Brooklyn backyard in July 2022 when she noticed a man loitering on her porch. This man, identified as Khalid Mehdiyev, was allegedly hired as part of a $500,000 murder-for-hire plot orchestrated by Tehran. Police arrested Mehdiyev, finding an AK-47, ammunition, and a ski mask in his car, thwarting the assassination attempt.

This incident highlights what security officials term "transnational repression," a practice where Iran targets activists and journalists on foreign soil, often by outsourcing violence to distance the regime and maintain plausible deniability. Britain's domestic security agency, MI5, has reported tracking at least 20 potentially deadly plots linked to Tehran since 2022.

Fardad Farahzad, an anchor for the Persian- and English-language news outlet Iran International, also detailed his experience with the regime's pursuit of critics. In late 2022, the Islamic Republic's intelligence minister designated Iran International as a "terrorist" organization. Around the same time, during widespread protests following the death of Mahsa Amini, Farahzad learned of a plot against him and his colleague Sima Sabet, codenamed "The Wedding."

An investigation by ITV News uncovered evidence of this plot, including WhatsApp messages between the alleged hitman and those orchestrating the attack. Farahzad stated that realizing the extent to which the regime would go to assassinate him on foreign soil was "quite shocking." The plot was reportedly approved by Mohammad Reza Ansari, an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander linked to overseas operations, including alleged assassination attempts on former U.S. officials John Bolton and Mike Pompeo.

Since the 2020 U.S. drone strike that killed IRGC General Qassem Soleimani, American officials have uncovered Iran-linked plots targeting U.S. figures, including alleged attempts to assassinate former President Trump and his son, Barron Trump.

Following escalating threats, Iran International moved its broadcasting operations from London to Washington, D.C., in February 2023, acting on advice from London's Metropolitan Police. The threats against the outlet's reporters have continued. In March 2024, journalist Pouria Zeraati was stabbed in London; the judge presiding over the case concluded the attack was state-sponsored and carried out on behalf of the Islamic Republic.

Farahzad expressed that the Iranian regime's reach is extensive, stating, "Not really," when asked if any place was beyond its grasp. He noted that states possess significant power, diplomatic immunity, and financial resources, enabling them to act with impunity.

Despite these external pressures, Farahzad believes the regime may be vulnerable internally, citing ongoing economic difficulties and the potential for renewed uprisings within Iran. He suggested that diminished oil exports due to blockades could further destabilize the country.