US charges Iranian national and two Canadians in alleged assassination plot
GuardianJan 30
Three Charged in Alleged Murder-For-Hire Plot of Marylanders
The Facts
An Iranian, who federal prosecutors claim is part of an operative that targets dissidents living in exile, and two Canadians have been charged for the alleged attempted assassination of two Maryland residents.
According to court documents, Naji Sharifi Zindashti hired Damion Patrick John Ryan and Adam Richard Pearson for at least $350K to carry out the alleged killings on US soil in 2021.
The Spin
Anti-Iran narrative
Iran is targeting dissidents around the world, using intelligence operatives to orchestrate assassination attempts against citizens who flee its brutal regime. The DOJ's case against Naji Zindashti and his accomplices isn't out of the ordinary, unfortunately, as Tehran has repeatedly sought to persecute Tehran's dissidents. The US and the UK must remain vigilant against Iranian attacks on their residents and send a message that Iran's aggression will not be tolerated.
Pro-Iran narrative
The US and UK are once again hypocritically levying baseless accusations against Iran as they continue to push for war. Western powers are quick to blame Iran for any wrongdoing by an Iranian and label groups as "terrorists." However, the West is the real aggressor. Iran is committed to defending itself and its people against hostile adversaries who continue to lie and demonize the nation for their nefarious gain.
Nerd narrative
There's a 12% chance that the US and Iran will be primary actors on opposite sides of war before 2025, according to the Metaculus prediction community.