All articles tagged with #iran international
Two separate UK trials are underway involving Iranian nationals accused of spying for Tehran. One case involves surveillance of Jewish and Israeli sites in London, while the other concerns a plot to harm journalists critical of the Iranian regime.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf says authorities rushed to announce Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's death and call supporters into the streets after overseas Persian-language media, notably Iran International, leaked the news, fearing street unrest could take a different turn. The plan reportedly shifted from a dawn announcement to mobilizing people at suhoor, treating the street as a strategic front alongside the military, diplomacy and government services to maintain control.
A 46-year-old Greek national, Ioannis Aidinidis, living in Munich, was charged under Britain’s National Security Act 2023 with assisting a foreign intelligence service believed to be Iran in the alleged targeting of a journalist at London-based Iran International. He is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court after being arrested on May 16 in West Sussex, with police stressing there is no wider threat to the public as the Counter Terrorism Policing London investigation continues.
An Iranian journalist living in London, Pouria Zeraati of Iran International, testified at Woolwich Crown Court that he was stabbed in the thigh outside his Wimbledon home by two Romanian men alleged to be hired as proxies for the Iranian state. The attackers fled the scene, then left the country, with prosecutors alleging they were recruited to target him; a third man not on trial is also involved. Zeraati required hospital treatment for three stab wounds. The trial, including the two defendants charged with wounding with intent, is expected to last up to four weeks.
Two Romanian men, Nandito Badea and George Stana, stand trial at Woolwich Crown Court for stabbing Iranian journalist Pouria Zeraati in Wimbledon in March 2024 in what prosecutors describe as a planned Iran-backed attack carried out by proxies. The case alleges prior reconnaissance, a Mazda getaway car, and funding through Hemroc Ltd to sustain their UK involvement, with Tehran posters of Zeraati and Iran International designated as a terrorist organization illustrating a state-backed campaign. A third man, David Andrei, is not on trial and remains in Romania.
A 33-year-old Austrian national of Chechen origin, Magomed-Husejn Dovtaev, was released after about 28 months of a 3.5-year prison sentence for filming Iran International’s London offices to aid a potential terrorist attack and was deported to Austria, which will take no further action. Dovtaev said he was offered around €50,000 for the reconnaissance, and prosecutors said the information could have facilitated an attack, though authorities could not prove who ordered it, though Iran was suspected. A parole panel found he no longer posed a public risk, citing greed and recklessness rather than ideology, in a case highlighting ongoing security concerns over Iran-linked threats to Persian-language media in Britain.
An Iranian man was violently assaulted in central London, with police investigating, in a broader context of rising threats against Iran-linked critics in Britain, including recent arson attempts near Iran International’s offices and heightened security concerns for Persian-language journalists in exile.
An arson attempt near Iran International’s London studios prompted arrests as authorities investigate; the broadcaster says the incident is part of a broader intimidation campaign against its staff, with threats to journalists and relatives amid Iran-related internet shutdowns, raising concerns about press freedom and the safety of reporters abroad.
Pouria Zeraati, a television host for Iran International, was stabbed multiple times by a group of attackers outside his London home. Zeraati, who hosts a show critical of Iran’s government, is in stable condition in the hospital. The attack is being investigated by a counter-terrorism unit due to threats directed at the media organization. This incident follows a report uncovering a secret plot by Iran to assassinate two of the outlet’s anchors.