Iranian Officer Charged in U.S. Court for Murder of American in Iraq

Mohammad Reza Nouri, an IRGC captain, faces terrorism and murder charges for orchestrating the 2022 killing of Stephen Troell in Baghdad.

Mohammad Reza Nouri, an officer in Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, has been charged in the U.S. with multiple terrorism and murder-related crimes, including charges that could carry the death penalty.
Nouri is accused of orchestrating the 2022 murder of Stephen Troell, a Tennessee native and English teacher, who was ambushed and killed in Baghdad while driving with his wife.
U.S. prosecutors allege that Nouri gathered intelligence on Troell, coordinated the attack, and celebrated the killing with co-conspirators before fleeing to Iran.
The Department of Justice asserts that the Iranian regime targets U.S. citizens globally, linking the attack to broader retaliation efforts for the 2020 killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani by a U.S. drone strike.
Nouri was arrested in Iraq in March 2023, convicted in an Iraqi court for his role in the murder, and remains in Iraqi custody as U.S. authorities pursue additional charges.