Iranian-backed assassins targeting American soil face justice after a plot to silence a vocal regime critic was foiled by law enforcement. The case reveals shocking connections between Iran’s government, Russian mobsters, and a $500,000 hit on a brave journalist who refused to be silenced. And if they’re hiring assassins or journalists, you can bet they’re targeting the president.
At a glance:
• Two men with Russian mob ties were convicted for plotting to assassinate Iranian journalist Masih Alinejad in New York
• The plot was ordered by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) with a $500,000 payment
• Alinejad has been forced to relocate nearly two dozen times but continues her activism for Iranian women’s rights
• The hitman was caught with an AK-47, ammunition, and cash after a traffic stop near Alinejad’s home
• This conviction follows multiple Iranian attempts to silence Alinejad, including a previous kidnapping plot
Iranian Regime’s Foreign Assassination Plot Foiled
A federal jury has convicted Rafat Amirov and Polad Omarov for their roles in an Iranian government-backed plot to assassinate journalist Masih Alinejad on American soil. The convicted criminals were connected to an Azeri faction of the Russian mob and were hired by Iranian officials to eliminate the outspoken critic of the Islamic regime.
The two men face potential sentences ranging from 10 years to life in prison after being found guilty on five charges, including murder for hire, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and conspiracy to launder money. Evidence presented during the two-week trial revealed that the Iranian government had offered $500,000 for the killing of Alinejad, who has gained a massive following for exposing the regime’s brutality against women.
Prosecutors told a jury Wednesday that two supposed members of the Russian mob charged with the attempted murder for hire of Iranian journalist Masih Alinejad took half a million dollars in “blood money” from Iranian officials to kill her. @Uebey https://t.co/trtRcpXd4r
— Courthouse News (@CourthouseNews) March 19, 2025
Biden Administration’s Rare Win Against Iranian Terror Network
Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky delivered a strong message following the conviction, noting, “If you target U.S. citizens, we will find you, no matter where you are, and bring you to justice.” The case represents a successful counterterrorism operation that crossed international boundaries, involving the FBI, NYPD, and various international agencies.
“For years, the Government of Iran has attempted to silence an outspoken Iranian journalist, author, activist and critic of their regime through any means necessary, including harassment, violence, intimidation, and even attempted murder,” Podolsky added. “Chillingly, the plot to murder this Iranian dissident culminated over 6,000 miles from Iran, on U.S. soil, right here in New York, when a hitman with an AK-47 camped outside her home to kill her.”
The plot was thwarted in July 2022 when Khalid Mehdiyev, the hired gunman, was arrested near Alinejad’s home following a traffic violation. Police discovered an AK-47 assault rifle with obliterated serial numbers, 66 rounds of ammunition, and $1,100 in cash in his vehicle.
Here’s the report from @DelbarTavakoli on what she witnessed at the trial of the assassins hired by the Islamic Regime of Iran to kill @AlinejadMasih ⬇️
Today was the fourth session of the trial for those who planned to assassinate @AlinejadMasih in New York. Walking into the… https://t.co/FL3dvvl6ER
— Lawdan Bazargan (@LawdanBazargan) March 15, 2025
Brave Journalist Continues Fight Despite Constant Threats
Masih Alinejad, who fled Iran in 2009, has become a powerful voice against the Iranian regime’s human rights abuses, particularly its treatment of women. Her social media campaigns encouraging Iranian women to defy Islamic law by removing their mandatory hijabs have earned her millions of followers and the hatred of Tehran’s theocratic rulers. You’ve probably seen her – she’s the reporter who always has a red flower in her hair.
“I am relieved that after nearly three years, the men who plotted to kill me have been found guilty,” Alinejad said following the verdict. “But make no mistake, the real masterminds of this crime are still in power in Iran.”
The conviction follows multiple attempts by the Iranian government to silence Alinejad, including a 2020-2021 plot to kidnap her from the United States and a scheme to lure her to Turkey. Despite being forced to relocate nearly two dozen times for her safety, Alinejad remains determined to continue her advocacy for the voiceless in Iran, calling the verdict “a powerful gift from the American government.”
