FBI Seeks More Information on Islamic Republic's 'Intelligence Operative'

The FBI is intensifying its efforts to track down an Iranian individual whom the agency claims is an intelligence operative for the Islamic Republic, allegedly planning to assassinate current and former U.S. officials, including former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. The FBI's Miami office issued a public notice seeking information about 'Majid Dashtjani Farahani,' a suspect believed to be affiliated with the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence. It is unclear why this notice was issued by the Miami office. In the notice released on Friday, the FBI states that 42-year-old Majid Dashtjani Farahani 'was recruiting individuals for operations in the United States to target (deadly attacks) current and former U.S. government officials.' The notice mentions that he speaks Persian, English, Spanish, and French, and frequently travels between Iran and Venezuela. On December 8, the U.S. imposed sanctions on dozens of individuals, including two Iranian intelligence officials - Majid Dashtjani Farahani and Mohammad Mehdi Khanpour Ardestani - for human rights violations, conspiracy against U.S. officials, and opponents of the Iranian government. The U.S. Treasury Department stated that 'the regime's efforts to silence its opponents go far beyond its borders and resort to transnational repressive actions, including deadly conspiracies against activists, journalists, and foreign government officials.' Over the past four years, the Islamic Republic has repeatedly threatened to avenge the death of Qassem Soleimani, the former commander of the Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guard, who was killed in a U.S. drone strike near Baghdad in January 2020. The U.S. Department of Justice previously charged members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in 2022 for attempting to assassinate John Bolton, a former national security advisor to Donald Trump, who served in the White House in the months leading up to Soleimani's death. U.S. officials told Semafor that they believe Mike Pompeo and Brian Hook, the U.S. Special Representative for Iran, are also on the Islamic Republic's assassination list. The U.S. government is currently providing security for both due to the severity of the ongoing threats. The FBI also stated that Majid Dashtjani Farahani is recruiting individuals to 'take revenge' for Soleimani's death and to conduct 'surveillance activities focused on religious sites, businesses, and other centers in the United States.' The Treasury Department sanctioned Farahani in December. According to the Semafor news site, there is increasing evidence that the Islamic Republic of Iran and its allies are operating extensively within the United States. In August 2022, a self-identified supporter of the Islamic Republic stabbed British-American novelist Salman Rushdie at a literary festival in upstate New York. The U.S. Department of Justice is still investigating whether the Lebanese-American assailant acted under the orders of the Islamic Republic. The former leader of the Islamic Republic, Ruhollah Khomeini, had issued a fatwa for Rushdie's murder. Last January, the U.S. Department of Justice also charged three Azerbaijani citizens with attempting to murder Masih Alinejad in New York. Officials stated that they also thwarted a 2021 plot by the Islamic Republic to kidnap her. Reports from CBS highlight the costs of protecting two former Trump advisors against potential threats from the Islamic Republic. A Senate hearing on 'Islamic Republic Proxy Networks' emphasized the need for 'serious enforcement' of sanctions. An Islamic Republic proxy group in Iraq claims it does not seek to escalate tensions in the region. Charges have been filed against an armed individual arrested near Masih Alinejad's home.