Two Iran-Backed Assassins Face Conviction After Targeting Dissident Journalist

Justice prevails as two Russian mobsters face conviction for attempting to silence an Iranian journalist on American soil. The case exposes a chilling international plot backed by Iran’s regime to eliminate a prominent critic who dared to champion women’s rights. And if they’re out there targeting one journalist, you can bet they’re after Trump, too.

At a glance:

• Rafat Amirov and Polad Omarov, linked to the Russian mob, convicted for plotting to assassinate Iranian journalist Masih Alinejad in New York

• The murder plot was commissioned by Iran’s government, including a brigadier general in the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, for $500,000

• Alinejad gained a large social media following by exposing the Iranian regime’s brutality, especially against women

• The hitman was arrested with an AK-47, ammunition, and cash after being stopped for a traffic violation

• Despite having to relocate nearly two dozen times, Alinejad remains determined to continue her advocacy

Iran’s Deadly Plot Exposed on American Soil

A federal jury in Manhattan has convicted two Eastern European criminals with ties to the Russian mob for orchestrating a murder-for-hire plot against Iranian dissident journalist Masih Alinejad. The two-week trial revealed a sophisticated international conspiracy that stretched from Iran to the streets of New York, where a gunman with an AK-47 was positioned outside the journalist’s home.

Rafat Amirov and Polad Omarov were found guilty of five offenses, including murder for hire, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and conspiracy to launder money. The men were working at the behest of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, which had previously attempted to kidnap Alinejad from the U.S. in 2020 and 2021.

The Brave Woman Who Stood Against A Regime

Masih Alinejad, who fled Iran in 2009, has become a prominent voice against the Iranian regime’s oppression, particularly its treatment of women. As an author, activist, and contributor to Voice of America, she has gained a massive social media following by exposing the brutality of Iran’s theocratic government and launching campaigns encouraging women to defy Islamic law by removing their mandatory hijabs.

“I am relieved that after nearly three years, the men who plotted to kill me have been found guilty,” Alinejad stated after the verdict. “But make no mistake, the real masterminds of this crime are still in power in Iran.”

The Iranian government’s determination to silence Alinejad has forced her to relocate nearly two dozen times for her safety. Despite the constant threat, she has described the verdict as “a powerful gift from the American government” and remains committed to her advocacy work.

America’s Strong Message to Foreign Threats

Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky delivered a statement following the conviction, noting, “If you target U.S. citizens, we will find you, no matter where you are, and bring you to justice.”

FBI Acting Assistant Director in Charge Leslie R. Backschies emphasized that “the FBI is determined to disrupt any effort by foreign governments to use violence to repress our citizens’ freedoms, here or abroad.” The prosecution was handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit, with investigators from the FBI, NYPD, and other U.S. and international agencies successfully tracking the conspiracy across multiple countries.

The conviction comes as the Trump administration continues to pursue diplomatic engagement with the Iranian regime despite its ongoing human rights abuses and assassination plots on American soil. The defendants now face potential sentences ranging from 10 years to life in prison when they are sentenced later this year.

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