Iran is escalating its efforts to “kidnap and kill government officials, activists, and journalists around the world,” U.S. media reported Thursday, with security agencies in the United States, Canada, Turkey, and Britain warning residents of threats by the Iranian regime.
According to the report by The Washington Post (The Post), based on information from American, European, and Middle Eastern sources, the Islamic Republic is focused on targeting retired U.S. officials, critical media, and dissidents who fled abroad, as well as “Jewish civilians or those with links to Israel.”
Such attempts are reportedly being carried out by criminal proxies, officials told The Post, and while this ensures a lower level of professionalism, “Iran’s persistence makes it likely to eventually carry out the killing of a high-profile dissident, journalist, or Western government figure, and that could spark direct confrontation with Tehran.”
The officials added that the rate of attempts has drastically increased in the past two years and that attempts have been more ambitious and far-reaching than previous ones.
