Allegations and Arrest
Ruhollah Bazghandi, an official with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, is accused of orchestrating a failed assassination plot against , a New York-based Iranian journalist. The plot was allegedly directed by individuals in Iran.
The indictment details how operatives surveilled Alinejad and attempted the assassination in July 2022. Khalid Mehdiyev, one of the operatives, was arrested near Alinejad's home with an assault rifle and cash.
Reactions and Background
Alinejad, who has been critical of the Iranian government, expressed gratitude to law enforcement and vowed to continue amplifying the voices of Iranians, especially women, facing oppression.
Bazghandi, described as a brigadier general and former chief of the Revolutionary Guard’s counterintelligence, is not in custody. The Revolutionary Guard was designated as a global terrorist group by the in 2017.