A British-Iranian journalist was stabbed outside his London home in a planned attack allegedly ordered by agents acting on behalf of the Iranian government, a court heard this week. Pouria Zeraati, a presenter for the dissident Persian-language broadcaster Iran International, was stabbed three times in the thigh as he crossed the street to his car in Wimbledon in March 2024.

During proceedings at Woolwich Crown Court, prosecutors said the attack was deliberate and premeditated, aimed at intimidating opponents of the Iranian regime. Duncan Atkinson KC, leading the prosecution, described the incident as part of a broader campaign by Tehran to use proxies, including criminal gangs, to target dissidents abroad. He noted that Iran International, which receives backing from Saudi Arabia, has been critical of the Islamic Republic, resulting in Tehran designating the channel a terrorist organization in 2022.

Zeraati’s name appeared on posters displayed in Tehran in November 2022, which carried the heading "Wanted: dead or alive," signaling his status as a target for regime-backed intimidation. Atkinson characterized the stabbing as an intentional attempt to cause serious harm, rejecting any suggestion it was a robbery or a spontaneous altercation. He told jurors the attack was preceded by reconnaissance and orchestrated by a third party acting on behalf of Iran.

The defendants, Romanian nationals Nandito Badea, 21, and George Stana, 25, deny charges of wounding with intent and unlawful wounding. A third individual, David Andrei, who is alleged to have restrained Zeraati during the attack, was arrested in Romania but is not currently on trial.

Court testimony described how the assailants fled the scene by car with a driver waiting nearby; they later abandoned the vehicle and clothing before taking a taxi to Heathrow Airport. Subsequent investigations revealed financial links between the accused and funds transferred from an account associated with a business tied to Tehran.

The Iranian chargé d’affaires in the UK has categorically denied any involvement by Tehran in the stabbing. The trial is ongoing.