Iran’s Assassination Plot in NYC: How a Top Iranian General Planned to Kill a US Activist
On Tuesday, the US Department of Justice filed charges against Ruhollah Bazghandi, a senior Iranian official in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), for his alleged role in a 2022 assassination plot targeting Iranian American activist Masih Alinejad in New York. The charges, including murder-for-hire and money laundering, are a chilling reminder of the lengths authoritarian regimes are willing to go to silence critics abroad.
Alinejad, a vocal critic of Iran’s mandatory hijab laws and the government’s treatment of women, was the focus of the assassination plot. US officials have revealed that the plot was orchestrated by Bazghandi, along with other Iranian officials, who allegedly contracted members of an Eastern European criminal network to kill Alinejad.
The case took a serious turn in July 2022, when one of the suspects, Khalid Mehdiyev, was arrested outside Alinejad’s home in New York with a loaded rifle. This arrest led to further investigations that exposed Bazghandi’s involvement, as well as that of three other Iranian nationals, who remain at large.
Alinejad, a vocal critic of Iran’s mandatory hijab laws and the government’s treatment of women, was the focus of the assassination plot. US officials have revealed that the plot was orchestrated by Bazghandi, along with other Iranian officials, who allegedly contracted members of an Eastern European criminal network to kill Alinejad.
The case took a serious turn in July 2022, when one of the suspects, Khalid Mehdiyev, was arrested outside Alinejad’s home in New York with a loaded rifle. This arrest led to further investigations that exposed Bazghandi’s involvement, as well as that of three other Iranian nationals, who remain at large.
In a statement, Attorney General Merrick Garland reiterated that the US will not tolerate attempts by authoritarian regimes to violate the rights of American citizens. Alinejad’s case is part of a broader pattern of Iran's extraterritorial repression. In 2021, US authorities charged four Iranian intelligence officers with plotting to kidnap Alinejad in the US, a plot Tehran dismissed as unfounded.
As tensions continue to rise in the Middle East, this latest indictment signals the ongoing threats posed by Iran’s IRGC. The indictment against Bazghandi is part of a broader US effort to counter Iran's influence, particularly as Iran remains a significant player in regional conflicts, including its alleged role in supporting Hamas.
The charges against Bazghandi reflect a growing concern within US security agencies over Iran’s efforts to target dissidents and undermine democratic values beyond its borders. These incidents also highlight the dangerous intersection of authoritarianism, human rights, and global security.
As tensions continue to rise in the Middle East, this latest indictment signals the ongoing threats posed by Iran’s IRGC. The indictment against Bazghandi is part of a broader US effort to counter Iran's influence, particularly as Iran remains a significant player in regional conflicts, including its alleged role in supporting Hamas.
The charges against Bazghandi reflect a growing concern within US security agencies over Iran’s efforts to target dissidents and undermine democratic values beyond its borders. These incidents also highlight the dangerous intersection of authoritarianism, human rights, and global security.
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