Iran’s Global Assassination Scheme Exposed Amid U.S. Trial of Alleged Hitmen

The federal trial in Manhattan of two alleged contract killers tied to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has taken a dramatic turn with revelations of Tehran’s far-reaching assassination plots targeting dissidents worldwide. The trial coincides with shocking claims from a former IRGC official, shedding light on the regime’s shadowy operations abroad.

Mohsen Rafiqdoost, a former senior IRGC figure and ex-bodyguard to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, claimed in an interview that he supervised operations to assassinate Iranian exiles. Among the victims were former Prime Minister Shapour Bakhtiar and beloved artist Fereydoun Farrokhzad, who was killed in Bonn, Germany. Rafiqdoost even admitted to outsourcing these hits to the Basque separatist group in Spain, stating bluntly, "We paid them, and they conducted the killings on our behalf." A chilling confession, if there ever was one.

The trial and these revelations come as Iran’s threats against prominent figures like former U.S. President Donald Trump, ex-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Iranian-American critics remain a pressing concern. Jason Brodsky, policy director of United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), called Rafiqdoost’s comments a "blatant admission of guilt" and a reminder of the regime’s ongoing terror threats. Brodsky argued that ignoring these threats is not an option, adding that the trial underscores the lethal reality of Iran’s global agenda.

Meanwhile, G-7 foreign ministers have issued a rare collective rebuke, linking Iran to regional instability and emphasizing that it must never be allowed to develop nuclear weapons. The ministers highlighted Iran’s "growing use of arbitrary detention and foreign assassination attempts" as tools of coercion, a stark acknowledgment of Tehran’s bold disregard for international norms.

Iran expert Lisa Daftari didn’t hold back in her assessment, calling the revelations "a blatant attack on international norms and a direct threat to global security." She urged the U.S. to respond decisively, suggesting stronger intelligence collaborations with allies and increased sanctions against the IRGC. "The message must be clear," Daftari said. "There is no place for state-sponsored terrorism on our soil." If only words could stop bullets, right?

The IRGC’s designation as a terrorist entity by the U.S. and Canada hasn’t deterred its operations. European nations, including the U.K., have resisted similar classifications, despite mounting evidence of IRGC-linked assassinations on their soil. Wahied Wahdat-Hagh, a German-Iranian scholar, noted that figures like Rafiqdoost openly brag about their crimes, taking pride in eliminating regime opponents abroad.

Further adding to the controversy is Seyed Hossein Mousavian, Iran’s former ambassador to Germany and now a Princeton University researcher. Mousavian has been accused of overseeing assassinations of Iranian dissidents in Europe during the 1990s, allegations he vehemently denies. Yet, his public tributes to Qassem Soleimani, the slain IRGC commander responsible for the deaths of over 600 U.S. service members, raise serious questions about his affiliations.

The Iranian regime’s tactics also include luring dissidents back to Iran under false pretenses, only to execute them later. Journalist Ruhollah Zam’s case is a grim example of this strategy. Tricked by the regime, Zam was executed in 2020 after exposing widespread corruption and fueling protests against the government. The regime’s audacity knows no bounds.

As the trial in Manhattan unfolds, the bigger picture becomes clear: Iran’s state-sponsored terrorism is not just an internal issue but a global threat. The revelations demand a united and decisive response from the international community, one that goes beyond words and symbolic sanctions. The stakes are too high to ignore.