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| Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps[Photo Credit: Encyclopedia Britannica] |
According to Volant Media on Monday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran is allegedly planning to assassinate two British-Iranian journalists who are based in the UK.
The two journalists, who are currently employed by the London-based broadcaster of Iran International TV channel, claimed in a statement that they had received "death threats from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps," an elite division of the Iranian Army.
The Farsi-language station referred to the incident as "state-sponsored threats to journalists in the U.K." and said that Iranian security services had issued "serious threats" to the two journalists in an effort to stifle independent media.
The London Metropolitan Police officially warned the two journalists of credible threats to their lives and the lives of their families, according to Volant Media.
According to VOA, other journalists had also been notified of similar threats.
The Met said in a response sent to AFP that “we do not comment on matters of protective security in relation to any specific individuals,” VOA also reported.
Iran International was established in 2017 and operates 24 hours. The station has been critical of the Iranian government including the ongoing protests in the country that started several weeks ago over the death of a woman in the custody of Iran’s morality police.
Founded in 1979 by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini following the Iranian revolution, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps consists of five branches including the Ground Forces, Navy, Aerospace Force, Quds Force and Basij.
It has been accused of several human rights violations. Government’s of the United States, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain have designated the Army branch as a terrorist group, while Australia and Canada are examining the possibility of also doing the same.