Police reported on Tuesday that the individuals suspected of stabbing a journalist affiliated with an independent Iranian media outlet in London last week have fled the country following the assault.
The victim, Pouria Zeraati, 36, who works as a presenter for the Persian-language Iran International, was attacked last Friday afternoon outside his residence in Wimbledon, located in southwest London.
Zeraati sustained leg injuries in the attack and was hospitalized for treatment. He was discharged from the hospital on Monday.
According to Scotland Yard, the attack on Zeraati was carried out by three men.
“Investigators have determined that the victim was approached by two individuals on a residential street and subsequently assaulted,” Scotland Yard stated. “The suspects fled the scene in a vehicle driven by a third individual.”
The suspects later abandoned the vehicle, which is currently undergoing examination by forensic experts, according to Scotland Yard.
“After abandoning the vehicle, the suspects immediately headed to Heathrow Airport and departed the UK within a few hours of the attack,” the statement read, although further details were not provided.
Following the stabbing, London’s Metropolitan Police initially stated that the motive was unclear. However, they noted that they were considering the victim’s occupation as a journalist at a Persian-language media outlet based in the UK.
Dominic Murphy, head of the police’s anti-terror unit, emphasized that they still lacked a clear motive for the attack. He stated, “We do not know the reason why this victim was attacked and there could be a number of explanations for this.” Murphy added, “All lines of inquiry are being pursued, and we are keeping an open mind on any potential motivation for the attack.”
On Saturday, Iran’s charge d’affaires in the UK, Mehdi Hosseini Matin, denied any involvement on Tehran’s part in the incident. He stated that Iran denied “any link” to the attack.
The Metropolitan Police has revealed its intervention in what it termed as plots within the UK aimed at kidnapping or potentially assassinating British or Britain-based individuals perceived as adversaries of Tehran.
Meanwhile, the Iranian government has officially designated Iran International as a terrorist organization.
In response to alleged human rights abuses and hostile activities against its adversaries on British territory, the UK government introduced a more stringent sanctions regime against Iran last year.
