UK Anti-terrorism Police Investigate Stabbing of Iranian Journalist

The former headquarters of Iran International
The former headquarters of Iran International
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UK Anti-terrorism Police Investigate Stabbing of Iranian Journalist

The former headquarters of Iran International
The former headquarters of Iran International

British counter-terrorism detectives are investigating after a journalist working for a Persian language media organization was stabbed in London on Friday amid fears he had been targeted because of his job, police said.
Police said the man, aged in his 30s, was attacked and sustained an injury to his leg in the incident in Wimbledon, southwest London, on Friday afternoon.
Britain's National Union of Journalists (NUJ) said the victim was prominent British-based Iranian journalist Pouria Zeraati, who hosts a show on the Persian language television news network Iran International which is critical of Iran's government.
Police said his injuries were not believed to be life-threatening and he was in a stable condition, Reuters reported.
"This cowardly attack on Pouria is deeply shocking, and our thoughts are with him, his family and all of his colleagues at Iran International," Michelle Stanistreet, the NUJ general secretary said in a statement.
In January, Britain imposed sanctions on Iranian officials it said were involved in threats to kill journalists on British soil.
Those officials were members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Unit 840, which an investigation by ITV news in Britain said was involved in plots to assassinate two television presenters from Iran International in the UK.
"While we are keeping an open mind, given the occupation of the victim and our publicized concerns about the threat to employees of that organization, the investigation is being led by the Counter Terrorism Command," Commander Dominic Murphy, the head of that unit, said.
"I must stress that, at this early stage of our investigation, we do not know the reason why this victim was attacked and there could be a number of explanations for this."



Iranian Media Denies ‘Rumors’ Israel Struck Home of Supreme Leader

 In this photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei attends a ceremony marking the anniversary of the 1989 death of the late revolutionary founder Khomeini at his shrine just outside Tehran, Iran, June 4, 2025. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)
In this photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei attends a ceremony marking the anniversary of the 1989 death of the late revolutionary founder Khomeini at his shrine just outside Tehran, Iran, June 4, 2025. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)
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Iranian Media Denies ‘Rumors’ Israel Struck Home of Supreme Leader

 In this photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei attends a ceremony marking the anniversary of the 1989 death of the late revolutionary founder Khomeini at his shrine just outside Tehran, Iran, June 4, 2025. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)
In this photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei attends a ceremony marking the anniversary of the 1989 death of the late revolutionary founder Khomeini at his shrine just outside Tehran, Iran, June 4, 2025. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

An Iranian semiofficial news agency has denied “rumors” that an Israeli airstrike targeted the home of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

It is the first time media in Iran has explicitly acknowledged the country’s paramount leader was a target.

The report came from the Fars news agency, believed to be close to Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.

Fars described the rumors as showing “the US and the Zionist regime’s anger and confusion in the face of the supreme leader’s firm statements made today.”

Khamenei earlier Wednesday warned that the United States that strikes targeting Iran will “result in irreparable damage for them” and that his country would not heed to US President Donald Trump’s call for surrender.