On Friday afternoon in London, Pouria Zeraati, a presenter for the Farsi-language news channel Iran International, was attacked outside his home. Zeraati suffered a leg stab wound and was subsequently hospitalized but has since been released. London’s Metropolitan Police disclosed that the attack involved two assailants who escaped in a vehicle driven by a third individual. This trio is reported to have left the UK, flying out of Heathrow Airport within hours of the attack.
Pouria Zeraati: Stabbed Iranian TV host says he will be back on air soon. They wont give up until they have killed him. So he needs 24 hour protection & Iran should be given the bill. https://t.co/SmuQaJHd8S
— phil (@ppjkis) April 3, 2024
Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command, has stated that efforts are underway to work with international partners to pursue the suspects. The police have initiated a counterterrorism investigation into the incident, driven by Zeraati’s role and the backdrop of recent threats directed at Iranian journalists based in the UK. Iran International, known for its critical stance on the Iranian government, has previously been targeted with threats.
Iran International temporarily relocated its operations to Washington, D.C., in early 2023 due to “state-backed threats from Iran” but resumed broadcasting from a new location in London by September. The channel has been designated a “terrorist entity” by Iran, with Iranian state media accusing it of inciting unrest.
The British government has taken actions in response to threats against journalists, including sanctions against members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) following a plot to assassinate two Iran International journalists. These developments underscore the ongoing risks faced by media personnel and the efforts by UK authorities to disrupt potential threats and ensure their protection.
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