US accuses IRGC officer of killing American citizen in Iraq | Crime News

The US says Mohammad Reza Nouri orchestrated the 2022 assassination of Stephen Troell to avenge Qassem Soleimani.

The United States has charged an officer of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) with “terrorism and murder” for the 2022 killing of a US citizen in Iraq.

The Justice Department announced the charges Friday, accusing Mohammad Reza Nouri of orchestrating the killing of Stephen Troell in Baghdad in response to the killing of a top U.S. Iranian general. Qasim Soleimani two years ago.

Troell was working at an English-language institute in Iraq, and at the time of his death, the U.S. Embassy said he was on “private duty” in the country working with the Iraqi people.

But according to the Justice Department, Nouri Troell “appears” to have worked as an American or Israeli intelligence officer.

The U.S. government accused Nouri of tracking down Troel and providing weapons, vehicles and safe harbor to the gunmen who killed him.

According to the Justice Department, Nouri is being held in Iraq, where he was arrested and later convicted of his involvement in the murder.

“The Department of Justice will not tolerate terrorists and authoritarian regimes anywhere in the world who target and kill Americans,” said Attorney General Merrick Garland.

“Stephen should still be alive today, and the Department of Justice will work relentlessly to ensure accountability for his murder.”

Last year, the Associated Press reported that five people – four Iraqis and one Iranian – were sentenced to life in prison for Troell’s murder.

Officials did not release the names of the Iraqi suspects, but told the news agency that the Iranian suspect was Mohammad Ali Ridha.

Friday’s accusations against Nouri come amid heightened regional tensions as Washington ramps up sanctions against Tehran and US officials. He warned Iran opposes the progress of the nuclear program.

elected president Donald TrumpIt is expected that the United States will intensify its pressure on Iran after taking office next month, who ordered the killing of Soleimani by drone in Baghdad in 2020.

Over the past few years, Washington has accused Tehran of plotting to kill dissidents and Americans, including around the world. on US soil – Accusations that Iran has largely denied.

Earlier this week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Iran should “focus on itself” and stop getting involved in “failures throughout the region” after recent setbacks, including Israel’s strikes on Hezbollah in Lebanon.