Overview:

A recent investigation claims the Iranian regime is hiring criminal organizations, including the Hells Angels, to abduct and assassinate Iranian dissidents living in the U.S. and Europe. Targets have included journalists, former military officers, and political critics. Notably, a British journalist was attacked in London, and Iran has allegedly contracted notorious criminal figures such as a fugitive Hells Angels boss and Iranian drug traffickers to carry out these operations. In total, 88 violent plots linked to Iran have been identified over the last five years.

Analysis:

The involvement of global criminal groups in state-sponsored assassination plots reveals the increasing brazenness of the Iranian regime in targeting its critics abroad. This outsourcing to entities like the Hells Angels reflects Tehran’s desire to avoid direct international culpability while using trusted proxy groups for clandestine operations. The inclusion of well-known criminal figures, such as Iranian drug trafficker Naji Sharifi Zindashti, adds another layer of complexity, illustrating how Iran’s intelligence operations are integrated with organized crime. These developments also raise concerns about Tehran’s operational reach and the potential threats to exiled dissidents, politicians, and journalists across Western nations.

Iran's growing use of proxy groups for these operations coincides with heightened tensions over its nuclear ambitions and international sanctions. The recruitment of criminal networks across Europe and the Americas amplifies Tehran’s geopolitical reach, while undermining the safety of democratic nations' citizens, especially as these criminal elements prove difficult to trace and hold accountable.