Richard Weitz

The Iranian government is hiring criminals—Russian mobsters, Hells Angels bikers, and even Swedish teen-agers—to attack its detractors and intimidate Iranians in exile. Phillip Smyth, a researcher who tracks Iran’s proxies, said that the regime has grown dependent on disposable assassins because they’re cheaper than sending Iranian agents overseas. “Criminals can obtain false documents, cross borders, rent safe houses, arrange cars, move money, and disappear,” Smyth told me. The use of local criminals, who don’t have any affiliation with Iran, forces European governments to “invest more in domestic security,” and demonstrates that “any crook can wreak havoc” in diaspora communities. The tactic also makes it difficult for investigators to link the plots to the Iranian regime. Read Cora Engelbrecht’s full report: newyorkermag.visitlink.me/v1…