A new report has revealed that Iran is enlisting criminal elements, including the Hells Angels biker gang, in its efforts to attack and eliminate dissidents living in Europe and the United States.
A chilling report from The Washington Post has unmasked Iran's clandestine operations targeting Iranian dissidents abroad. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Ministry of Intelligence have employed high-level units to execute these attacks, ranging from assassination plots to kidnapping attempts.
In a shocking revelation, the report exposes Iran's partnership with the infamous Hells Angels biker gang. In one plot, the gang members were allegedly hired for $350,000 to eliminate an Iranian defector and his wife living in Maryland. Encrypted messages obtained by the FBI reveal the chilling instructions to "erase his head from his torso."
Iran's Shadowy Campaign: Targeting Dissidents Abroad with Brutal Force
Iran's reach extends beyond the US. In Germany, a Hells Angels member plotted to bomb a synagogue in Essen. In London, exiled Iranian journalist Pouria Zeraati survived a brutal stabbing outside his home. The perpetrators, reportedly hired by Iran, evaded authorities and fled to Eastern Europe.
The report also sheds light on the Iran-backed kidnapping and assassination plot against Iranian-American journalist Masih Alinejad in New York City. A gunman sent to her home was affiliated with a Russian mob network known as "Thieves in Law."
Iran's Shadowy Campaign: Targeting Dissidents Abroad with Brutal Force
The Washington Institute has compiled data linking Iran to 88 violent plots over the past five years, including assassinations and kidnappings. UK officials alone have tracked over 16 plots in the last two years.
The report highlights a troubling shift in Iran's tactics. "We're not dealing with the usual suspects," said Matt Jukes, head of counterterrorism policing in the UK. "Individuals in London are every bit as legitimate as targets as if [they were] in Iran."
Iran's Shadowy Campaign: Targeting Dissidents Abroad with Brutal Force
One of the targets in the US was a former IRGC officer who had become an informant for the CIA. His defection had made him a valuable asset for US intelligence, putting him in Iran's crosshairs.
In February 2022, FBI agents arrested one of the Hells Angels members involved in the Maryland plot in Ottawa. Another was arrested in Minnesota and extradited to Canada, where he faces murder charges.
Iran's Shadowy Campaign: Targeting Dissidents Abroad with Brutal Force
Iran's mission to the United Nations has vehemently denied any involvement in these plots, claiming they "harbor neither the intent nor the plan to engage in assassination or abduction operations, whether in the West or any other country." However, the weight of evidence gathered by Western authorities paints a disturbing picture of Iran's covert campaign against its perceived enemies.
