Iran-Linked Assassination Plot Convicts Russian Mobsters in U.S.

A federal jury in Manhattan has convicted two members of the Russian mob, Rafat Amirov and Polad Omarov, for their roles in a plot orchestrated by Iran to assassinate Masih Alinejad, a prominent Iranian journalist and dissident living in Brooklyn. The plot, which involved a $500,000 bounty on Alinejad's life, highlights the Iranian regime's extensive efforts to silence dissent, particularly against advocates for women's rights. Alinejad, who has been targeted multiple times since leaving Iran in 2009, was the intended victim of this assassination attempt in July 2022, which was thwarted when Khalid Mehdiyev, the would-be assassin, was apprehended with a firearm near her home. The trial revealed connections between Iranian officials, including a brigadier general in the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, and organized crime, shedding light on the regime's assassination apparatus. The case marks a significant moment in U.S. legal history, as it details Iran's attempts to carry out international murders on American soil. Alinejad's activism, coupled with her substantial social media following, has made her a target for the Iranian government, which views her as a significant threat to its authority.