All cases Crime-group murder plot
Section 03 Iran's Long Arm
Murder-for-Hire Plot against a Brooklyn Journalist
Members of an Eastern European crime group were charged with being paid to kill the same journalist; one was arrested near her home with an assault rifle. A 2024 superseding indictment added an IRGC brigadier general and three others in Iran.
Iran's Role, in the Government's Words
“on instructions from high-ranking members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)”
U.S. Department of Justice Two Eastern European Organized Crime Leaders Convicted of Murder for Hire Targeting U.S.-Based Journalist on Behalf of Iranian Government,
press release, March 21, 2025, para. 5, justice.gov.
“is an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (“IRGC”) Brigadier General”
U.S. Department of Justice U.S. Attorney Announces Murder-For-Hire Charges Against IRGC Brigadier General And Former Intelligence Officer And Members Of An Iranian Intelligence Network,
press release, October 22, 2024, para. 7, justice.gov.
People Charged
- Rafat AmirovConvictedsince Mar. 20, 2025 “Amirov and Omarov were high-ranking members of an Eastern European organized crime group”U.S. Department of Justice, Mar. 21, 2025
- Polad OmarovConvictedsince Mar. 20, 2025 “Amirov and Omarov were high-ranking members of an Eastern European organized crime group”U.S. Department of Justice, Mar. 21, 2025
- Khalid MehdiyevChargedsince Jan. 27, 2023 “Mehdiyev, a member of the Organization, resides in Yonkers, New York”U.S. Department of Justice, Jan. 27, 2023
- Zialat MamedovChargedsince Oct. 22, 2024 “members of an Eastern European criminal organization”U.S. Department of Justice, Oct. 22, 2024
Photograph: FBIRuhollah BazghandiAt largesince Oct. 22, 2024 “is an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (“IRGC”) Brigadier General”U.S. Department of Justice, Oct. 22, 2024- “Haj Taher” (true name not given)At largesince Oct. 22, 2024 “HAJ TAHER, SEDIGHI, and FOROUZAN”U.S. Department of Justice, Oct. 22, 2024
- Hossein SedighiAt largesince Oct. 22, 2024 “HAJ TAHER, SEDIGHI, and FOROUZAN”U.S. Department of Justice, Oct. 22, 2024
Photograph: FBISeyed Mohammad ForouzanAt largesince Oct. 22, 2024 “HAJ TAHER, SEDIGHI, and FOROUZAN”U.S. Department of Justice, Oct. 22, 2024
Targets
- Masih Alinejad (Interview, NPR Morning Edition, July 15, 2021)
Private people are described, never named. A target is named only if a public figure who has spoken publicly about the plot.