LONDON: An Iranian plot orchestrated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to assassinate two network anchors from Iran International television station in London during the 2022 anti-government protests in Iran has been exposed by ITV.
In a report published on Wednesday, the British network said the elaborate scheme was thwarted thanks to a “double agent” embedded within the operation, who, unknown to the IRGC, was working for a Western intelligence agency.
According to the double agent, who spoke to ITV on condition of anonymity, the mastermind behind the plot was Mohammad Reza Ansari, the IRGC commander responsible for orchestrating extraterritorial assassinations.
Ansari, previously sanctioned by the US Treasury for failed attempts on the lives of former US officials Mike Pompeo and John Bolton, is based in Syria and reportedly has ties to the family of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
ITV reported that Ansari hired and directed the double agent through another Assad associate, Mohammad Abd Al-Razek Kanafani.
The hitman was instructed first to use a car bomb near Iran International’s offices in West London and then a “quiet” way, such as stabbing with a kitchen knife, to kill his targets, news presenters Sima Sabet and Fardad Farahzad.
The operation was codenamed “Wedding,” with Sabet and Farahzad referred to as the “bride” and “groom,” respectively, unbeknownst to them until revealed by ITV.
According to ITV, the double agent — who was promised $200,000, a new identity and “a safe passage to Iran via Syria” — was told the two presenters had to be targeted because they were causing the Iranian regime “a lot of humiliation in the media.”
He reported being told by IRGC commanders in October last year “this London thing must be done in any circumstances,” and that Iran’s intention was to show critics of the regime they “could do harm to them at any time.”
Iran’s hostility towards the network dates back to its launch in 2017, labeling it a “terrorist organization” and a “public enemy.”
The threats against Iran International journalists escalated in November 2022, prompting the network to temporarily relocate to Washington DC due to advice from the London Metropolitan Police.
Despite the move, direct threats persisted, leading to the network’s decision to close its London studios. However, operations resumed in September 2023 from a new London-based high-security building.
The ITV report coincided with a UK court’s guilty verdict for Magomed-Husejn Dovtaev, a Chechnya-born man who gathered information on Iran International’s London headquarters for a possible terror attack. The final sentence is expected on Friday.
“This trial was a reminder of the threats journalists and news organizations face,” Iran International said in a statement after the verdict was announced.
“We will not be cowed by threats. Our journalists will continue to provide the independent, uncensored news the people of Iran deserve.”