Pouria Zeraati, an Iranian television host, was attacked and stabbed outside his Wimbledon home in London, as reported by the Metropolitan Police. The assailant, described as being in his thirties, targeted Zeraati, who fortunately is not in life-threatening condition following the incident.
The motivation behind the stabbing remains unclear, yet it’s noted that Iran International, the station where Zeraati is employed, has previously received several threats. The London Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Unit, led by Dominic Murphy, is investigating the threats made against Iran International and is keeping an open mind about the motives behind this attack.
In response to the attack, police presence in the Wimbledon area will be heightened, and officials are appealing to the public for any information or witness accounts. The police have also mentioned ongoing threats, including abduction and assassination attempts targeting Iranians in the UK over the past two years, highlighting the additional security measures extended to Persian-language or Iran-related media organizations.
The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has expressed its alarm over the attack, with General Secretary Michelle Stanistreet pointing out the broader implications for Iranian journalists in the UK, especially considering similar incidents in 2022.
The incident unfolded when Zeraati was approached by two individuals as he was leaving his house, with one engaging him in conversation before the other attacked him from behind. The assailants then escaped in a taxi, implicating the driver as a potential third suspect involved in the incident. Despite the ongoing investigation, no arrests have been made, and the MI5 security service has been notified.–News Desk