Murder-for-hire plots linked to Iran targeting U.S. officials and dissidents

The U.S. Department of Justice has reported multiple incidents of foiled assassination plots, notably involving Asif Raza Merchant, a Pakistani national with connections to Iran, who was arrested for allegedly attempting to hire hitmen to assassinate a U.S. politician. This case is part of a concerning trend since 2020, where at least five Iran-linked assassination or abduction cases have been prosecuted in the United States, targeting a range of individuals, including Iranian dissidents and former U.S. officials. The rise in these plots has been attributed to Iran’s expanding influence and aggressive tactics, as highlighted by intelligence agencies that have noted a significant uptick in state-sponsored assassination attempts across the West.

Recent Cases and Allegations

• Asif Raza Merchant’s Arrest: Merchant’s plot involved contacting someone he believed could assist him in carrying out an assassination, only for that person to report him to authorities. After arranging meetings with undercover agents posing as hitmen, he was arrested before he could leave the U.S. and faces multiple charges, including terrorism and murder-for-hire.

• Sayed Fakhar Abbas in Greece: Another case involves Sayed Fakhar Abbas, who allegedly directed a plot to attack a Jewish community center in Athens through a contact in Greece. Abbas was reportedly recruiting individuals to carry out attacks for payment, demonstrating Iran’s strategy of outsourcing violence through proxies.

Intelligence Assessments

U.S. intelligence officials have indicated that the Iranian regime is directly involved in orchestrating these plots, often employing criminal networks to carry out its objectives while obscuring its involvement. The National Counterterrorism Center has emphasized that the Iranian government has intensified its lethal plotting against U.S. officials and dissidents since the assassination of Qassem Soleimani in 2020. This has raised alarms regarding the safety of Iranian dissidents living abroad, as well as former U.S. officials who have been publicly identified as potential targets.

Broader Implications

The increase in these assassination plots raises significant national security concerns for the U.S. and its allies, as they highlight the lengths to which Iran is willing to go to silence dissent and retaliate against perceived threats. The involvement of non-Iranian nationals in these plots complicates the landscape of counterterrorism and underscores the need for vigilance among law enforcement and intelligence agencies in monitoring and disrupting potential threats.