Iranian spies offered a people-smuggler $200,000 to assassinate two news presenters at Persian-language news channel Iran International to show critics of the regime they “could do harm to them at any time,” according to a report by the British ITV channel.
The channel uncovered video recordings and text messages exchanged between members of the Revolutionary Guard Corps and the agent they tried to recruit.
The assassination by car bomb was scheduled for autumn 2022. But concerns grew over the number of security guards outside the studio.
So orders were sent to the hitman to “simply stab” two presenters — codenamed “the bride and the groom” — in their home “using a kitchen knife.”
That was foiled because the would-be assassin had become a double agent, according to ITV.
The double agent said he was told in October 2022 by his handlers, “This London thing must be done in any circumstances. We must finish them.”
He explained to ITV, “It had to be done where they live, in their residence. In their home, in the lifts, on the stairs or in the corridors.”
Alerted by specialist officers from Scotland Yard about the plot, Iran International moved their studios from London to the US in November 2022.
The presenters, Fardad Farahzad and Sima Sabet, did not learn of the plot until they were recently informed by ITV.
The channel said that Farahzad was formally designated a target on November 6, 2022 by commanders in the Revolutionary Guards Unit 840, which allegedly carried out assassinations abroad.
UK officials say the scheme was overseen by Revolutionary Guards commander Mohammed Reza Ansari.
The channel said that Ansari, sanctioned by the United States in June for his role in the IRGC, reportedly instructed one of his Syrian associates, Muhammad Abd al-Razek Kanafani, to execute the killings.
It added that Ansari's supporters ordered Kanfani to arrange the plan of attack, which they referred to as “The Wedding” during their calls.
