Iranian Regime’s Failed Assassination Plot on U.S.-Based Journalist Unfolds in Court

Testimony reveals a botched murder-for-hire attempt orchestrated by Iranian agents to silence prominent regime critic Masih Alinejad in Brooklyn.

Khalid Mehdiyev, a hitman hired to kill exiled Iranian-American journalist Masih Alinejad, admitted in court to attempting the assassination in 2022 but failed due to a series of errors.
Mehdiyev was arrested near Alinejad's Brooklyn home with a loaded AK-47, a ski mask, and other incriminating items after police noticed suspicious behavior and a traffic violation.
Prosecutors allege that Mehdiyev, along with co-defendants Rafat Amirov and Polad Omarov, were hired by Iranian agents to carry out the hit, with Amirov and Omarov now on trial for murder-for-hire and racketeering charges.
Alinejad, a vocal critic of the Iranian regime and advocate for women's rights, has been targeted by multiple assassination attempts since fleeing Iran in 2009 and becoming a U.S. citizen in 2019.
Mehdiyev, who pleaded guilty and is cooperating with authorities, testified to receiving $30,000 for the botched attempt and faces at least 15 years in prison for his involvement.