Pouria Zareati, Iran International TV Host, Attacked by Unknown Men

Pouria Zareati, a host for Iran International TV, was attacked by several unknown men with knives as he was leaving his home in London on Friday, April 10. Iran International reported that Zareati is currently hospitalized and in stable condition. This is not the first time Iranian journalists abroad have been physically attacked. There have been multiple reports of the Islamic Republic's involvement in plots to harass, abduct, or attack Iranian journalists outside the country. For instance, in February 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice disclosed details of a plot to assassinate Masih Alinejad, a human rights activist and host for Voice of America, orchestrated by the Islamic Republic on U.S. soil. U.S. officials held a press conference stating that members of an organized crime group based in Eastern Europe were involved in a conspiracy to 'murder an Iranian-American citizen who has publicly opposed the Iranian government.' In another case, ITV News reported last December that agents of the Islamic Republic offered a human trafficker $200,000 to assassinate two news anchors, Simin Sabat and Fardad Farahzad, outside the London studio of Iran International, using the code names 'Bride and Groom.' According to the report, their goal was to demonstrate to regime critics that 'they can be harmed at any time.' An investigative journalist from ITV News obtained videos and text messages exchanged as part of the aforementioned plot, revealing the names of those involved and details of their plans. In the fall of last year, the British Foreign Office summoned Mahdi Hosseini Matin, the Iranian chargé d'affaires in London, in protest against the Islamic Republic's threats against Iranian journalists residing in the UK. The Islamic Republic has consistently denied targeting Iranian journalists abroad. Secret prison sentences have been issued for dozens of Voice of America journalists and other Persian-language media outside Iran by revolutionary courts. The Economist reported on the revival of the Islamic Republic's 'malicious activities' against opponents abroad, including attempts at bombings and knife attacks, as detailed in ITV News' report on the IRGC's plot to 'assassinate' two news anchors.