There has been a sharp rise in plots by the Iranian regime to kidnap or assassinate dissidents, journalists and political foes living abroad, according to reports by Western intelligence agencies. These attempts have escalated dramatically since 2022,with even US President Donald Trump among theallegedtargets. In the UK,police are questioning a number of Iraniansarrested earlier this month on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack. The BBC understands the alleged target was the Israeli embassy in London. And court documents from Turkey and the US - seen by BBC Eye Investigations and BBC Persian - contain evidence that Iran has been hiring criminal gangs to carry out killings on foreign soil, allegations the Iranian regime has previously denied. Iranian officials did not respond to a fresh request for a comment. One name repeatedly surfaced in these documents: Naji Sharifi Zindashti, an Iranian criminal boss, known for international drug smuggling. His name appeared in a Turkish indictment in connection with the 2017 killing in Istanbul of Saeed Karimian, the head of a Persian TV network that broadcast Western films and programmes to Iran. Iranian authorities considered Karimian a threat to Islamic values, and three months before his assassination an Islamic Revolutionary Court in Tehran sentenced him in absentia to six years in prison. US and Turkish officials believed his death was related to a mafia feud. But when in 2019, Massoud Molavi, a defector from Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC), was gunned down in Istanbul, it shed light on Zindashti's alleged role in Karimian's assassination. Molavi had been exposing corruption at the highest levels of Iran's leadership. The Turkish police discovered Zindashti's gardener had been present at the scene of Molavi's assassination, and that his driver had been at Karimian's murder. The police suspected the gardener and the driver had been sent by Zindashti. Zindashti was arrested in connection with Karimian's death but was controversially released after just six months, causing a legal scandal in Turkey. A Higher Court judge ordered his rearrest but by then he had left the country. He then fled to Iran, raising suspicions that he might have been working for Iranian intelligence all along. Cengiz Erdinc, a Turkish investigative journalist, claims that when those out of favour with the Iranian regime are killed, Zindashti's men are at the scene. "It is not the first time, but there has always been a connection between organised crime and the intelligence agencies," he says. Over three decades ago, he was convicted of drug smuggling in Iran and sentenced to death. But rumours suggested his escape from prison, which led him to Turkey, may have been orchestrated by Iranian intelligence. "If someone sentenced to death in Iran escapes after killing a guard, they're unlikely to make it out alive - unless there's more to the story," says someone who knew Zindashti closely. The BBC is withholding their identity for their own safety. "The only plausible way for him to return and live freely would be if he had been working for Iran's intelligence services, making his escape appear to be part of a planned cover story for intelligence work with Iran's security agencies and IRGC," they told BBC World Service. People outside the UK canwatch the documentary on YouTube In 2020, Zindashti's name appeared again in a Turkish indictment in connection with the kidnapping of Habib Chaab, an Iranian dissident who was lured to Istanbul, abducted, and later paraded on Iranian state TV. Chaab was sentenced to death and executed. Zindashti's nephew was arrested in Turkey in connection with Chaab's disappearance. Zindashti has denied having any role. Then, in 2021, Zindashti was implicated in a plot in the United States. According to Minnesota court documents, communications between Zindashti and a member of the Hells Angels, a Canadian biker gang, were logged in the indictment. Zindashti allegedly offered $370,000 to have two Iranian defectors assassinated in Maryland. The FBI intervened and arrested two men before the attack could be carried out. Our investigation into court documents also uncovered that the IRGC and its overseas operations arm, the Quds Force, have been working with criminal organisations like the Thieves-in-Law, a notorious international criminal gang from the former Soviet Union, to carry out kidnappings and assassinations. US and Israeli intelligence sources say Unit 840 of the IRGC's Quds Force's main responsibility is to plan and establish terror infrastructure abroad. In March, a New York jury convicted two men associated with the Thieves-in-Law for plotting to assassinate Masih Alinejad, an Iranian-American activist. Iranian agents allegedly offered $500,000 for her killing. Just two years earlier, a man with a loaded gun had been arrested near her home in Brooklyn. Following the 2020 assassination by the US of top IRGC commander General Qasem Soleimani, Iran vowed revenge. Since then, the US says Iran has been plotting to kill former members of the Trump administration involved in Soleimani's death, including former national security adviser John Bolton, and Mike Pompeo, former head of the CIA and secretary of state. During last year's US presidential election, prosecutors accused Iran of plotting to assassinate Donald Trump, which Iran strongly denied. In response to these growing threats, the US and UK have imposed sanctions on individuals linked to Iran's intelligence operations, including Zindashti, Iranian diplomats, and members of the IRGC. Zindashti denies ever working for the Iranian intelligence service. In 2024,Ken McCallum, the director of MI5 reported 20 credible threatsagainst individuals in the UK linked to Iran. In one case in West London, a Chechen man was arrested near Iran International, a Persian-language TV station in London. He was convicted of gathering information for Iranian agents. Last year, Pouria Zerati, a London-based presenter for Iran International, was attacked with a knife. Soon after, two men were arrested in Romania at the request of UK counter-terrorism police. Sources in the UK security services told the BBC these men were part of the Thieves-in-Law, allegedly hired by Iranian agents. Sima Sabet, a presenter for Iran International, was one of the targets, but an attempt to blow up her car failed. "When they realised they couldn't attach a bomb to my car, the agents told the man to finish the job quietly," says Sima, who has seen the police file, says. "He asked how quietly, and they replied, 'As quiet as a kitchen knife.'" After the assassination of four Iranian Kurdish leaders by masked gunmen in a restaurant in Berlin in 1992, German prosecutors blamed the entire Iranian leadership for the killings. The attack was carried out by Iranian agents and members of the Iran-backed Lebanese Shia Hezbollah movement. An international arrest warrant was issued for Iran's intelligence minister, and a court declared that the assassination had been ordered with the knowledge of Iran's Supreme Leader and president. Since then, it seems the Iranian regime has been hiring criminal organisations to carry out kidnappings and killings in an attempt to avoid linking the attacks back to the regime. But Matt Jukes, the UK's Head of Counter Terrorism Policing, says it is relatively easy for police to infiltrate criminal groups because they are not ideologically aligned with the Iranian regime. It is what he calls a "creeping penetration" by Iran, which the police are trying to disrupt.
Iran using criminal gangs for hit jobs abroad, court papers show
TruthLens AI Suggested Headline:
"Iran Allegedly Engaging Criminal Gangs for Assassination Plots Abroad"
Bbc News
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TruthLens AI Summary
Reports from Western intelligence agencies indicate a significant increase in plots orchestrated by the Iranian regime to kidnap or assassinate dissidents, journalists, and political opponents residing abroad. This surge in attempts has been particularly notable since 2022, with high-profile individuals such as former US President Donald Trump reportedly among the intended targets. In the UK, authorities are investigating several Iranians detained on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack, allegedly aimed at the Israeli embassy in London. Recent court documents from Turkey and the US reveal that Iran has been enlisting criminal gangs to execute these operations on foreign soil, a claim that the Iranian government has consistently denied. One individual frequently mentioned in these investigations is Naji Sharifi Zindashti, a notorious Iranian criminal figure linked to international drug trafficking. His involvement in past assassinations, including that of Saeed Karimian in Istanbul in 2017, has raised serious concerns about the collaboration between organized crime and Iranian intelligence services, particularly the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Zindashti's connections to these criminal activities suggest a troubling pattern of Iran utilizing external operatives to carry out its covert operations abroad, while maintaining plausible deniability.
The allegations surrounding Zindashti extend to multiple assassination plots, including attempts on the lives of Iranian dissidents in the United States and the UK. Court documents indicate that Zindashti had attempted to hire members of the Hells Angels to carry out hits on defectors, with the FBI intervening to prevent an assassination in Maryland. The IRGC's Quds Force has been implicated in orchestrating these activities in coordination with various criminal organizations, such as the Thieves-in-Law, a criminal gang from the former Soviet Union. The growing number of credible threats against individuals linked to Iran has prompted the US and UK to impose sanctions on those involved with Iranian intelligence operations. As the situation escalates, security officials warn of a 'creeping penetration' of Iranian influence into organized crime, complicating efforts to disrupt these plots. The intricate web of crime and state-sponsored violence highlights the lengths to which the Iranian regime is willing to go in order to silence dissent and eliminate perceived threats, raising alarms among international security agencies and prompting urgent calls for action against these orchestrated attacks.
TruthLens AI Analysis
The article highlights a concerning trend regarding the Iranian regime's alleged use of criminal gangs to carry out assassinations and kidnappings of its dissidents abroad. This escalation in activity appears to have intensified since 2022 and has raised alarms among Western intelligence agencies.
Intended Message and Public Perception
The intention behind this news piece seems to be to inform the public about the Iranian government's increasingly aggressive tactics against its opponents living outside the country. By detailing specific incidents and naming individuals involved, the article aims to create a sense of urgency and alarm regarding the lengths to which Iran might go in silencing dissent. The portrayal of Iran as a state that resorts to hiring criminals for such operations could reinforce negative perceptions of the Iranian regime, potentially influencing public opinion against it.
Potential Omissions or Concealments
While the article paints a vivid picture of Iran's alleged activities, it does not provide extensive background on the motivations behind these actions or the broader geopolitical context. This could suggest an intentional focus on sensationalizing the narrative without exploring the underlying issues, such as the historical tensions between Iran and its critics abroad.
Manipulative Elements
The language used in the article carries a somewhat sensational tone, especially with phrases like "sharp rise in plots" and "hiring criminal gangs." Such wording may serve to heighten fears and anxieties among readers. The article's structure, focusing heavily on individual cases and dramatic implications, could also be perceived as a manipulation tactic to elicit a strong emotional response from the audience.
Credibility and Reliability
Considering the sources cited, including court documents and intelligence reports, the article appears to have a basis in factual reporting. However, the lack of direct responses from Iranian officials may raise questions about the completeness of the information presented. The credibility is contingent upon the authenticity of the documents and the reliability of the intelligence agencies referenced.
Societal Impact and Reactions
This article could significantly impact public opinion towards the Iranian regime, potentially leading to increased calls for accountability and action from Western governments. It may also incite fear within communities of Iranian dissidents abroad about their safety, influencing their political activism or willingness to speak out.
Target Audiences and Support
The narrative likely resonates with communities critical of the Iranian regime, particularly among exiled Iranian populations and human rights advocates. These groups may find validation in the article’s claims, reinforcing their views on the dangers posed by the Iranian government.
Economic and Political Implications
In terms of market reaction, news of Iran's alleged criminal activities abroad could affect investments in businesses that have ties to Iran, particularly in sectors such as oil and gas. Companies might reassess their exposure to geopolitical risks associated with Iranian operations.
Geopolitical Relevance
The article's content is relevant to ongoing discussions about international relations and security, especially considering Iran's contentious relationships with countries like the United States and Israel. The mention of high-profile targets, including former President Trump, underscores the persistent tensions and threats present in global politics today.
Use of AI in Writing
There is no explicit indication that AI was used in the writing of this article. However, certain stylistic choices—such as the organization of information and the framing of narratives—may reflect common journalistic practices that AI models might employ. If AI was involved, it could have influenced the tone and structure to enhance readability and engagement.
In summary, while the article provides valuable insights into Iran's alleged activities, its potential biases and the emotional language used may warrant a cautious interpretation of its claims. The overall reliability of the information should be evaluated within the broader context of ongoing geopolitical dynamics.