Iran's Use of Criminal Gangs for Assassination Plots Revealed by Court Documents

Court documents indicate a disturbing escalation in Iran's utilization of criminal gangs for orchestrating assassinations and kidnappings outside its borders. Intelligence agencies claim involvement from the Revolutionary Guard and named figures in organized crime, raising significant alarm about state-sponsored violence against Iranian dissidents and their allies.

Iran has been increasingly outsourcing assassination attempts and kidnappings of dissidents abroad to criminal organizations in a bid to eliminate perceived threats without direct state involvement. According to court papers reviewed by BBC Eye Investigations, which draw on testimonies from U.S. and Turkish sources, this alarming trend has intensified since 2022, with targets including journalists, political opponents, and even high-profile former U.S. officials.

One name that frequently appears in these investigations is Naji Sharifi Zindashti, an infamous Iranian criminal kingpin alleged to have connections with state intelligence. Zindashti has been implicated in several high-profile killings, including that of Saeed Karimian, who led a Persian-language media network. Despite his arrest in connection with Karimian's death, he escaped legal repercussions and fled to Iran, leading to speculation about his ties to Iran's intelligence service.

Cengiz Erdinc, a Turkish investigative journalist, further suggests a longstanding partnership between organized crime and Iranian intelligence agencies. Zindashti's history includes a conviction for drug smuggling in Iran, where upon escaping death row, he supposedly enjoyed protection from authorities, hinting at his ongoing collaboration with intelligence services.

The finger has pointed toward Zindashti again in recent cases, including the kidnappings of Iranian dissidents and even plots against foreign officials. Most notably, his communications surfaced in a Minnesota indictment where he was linked to an assassination plan against Iranian defectors in the U.S., thwarted just before execution by FBI intervention.

Intelligence reports suggest that the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has created alliances with notorious criminal organizations like the Thieves-in-Law, increasing Iran's capacity for deadly international operations. Following the U.S. assassination of IRGC commander General Qasem Soleimani, Iran's threats against former U.S. officials have become more pronounced, with allegations of plots against Donald Trump and other key individuals involved in Soleimani's death.

As these assassination attempts escalate, the U.S. and UK have responded with sanctions targeting individuals associated with Iran’s external operations. These include accusations of threats against dissidents living in the UK, who are particularly vulnerable to the Iranian regime's reach.

The UK's counterterrorism officials have reported a surge in credible threats, suggesting a persistent danger from Iran's operations abroad. In light of past incidents of violence linked to Iranian agents, authorities emphasize the importance of intelligence sharing and attempts to disrupt these infiltration strategies before they lead to further bloodshed.