US bill aims to protect citizens from Iranian murder-for-hire plots

For Trump’s second term, Witkoff will step into the shoes of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner who had the role the first time round.

Instead of using veteran diplomats for the region - which is currently struggling through its most violent conflict in decades - Trump has signaled that, when it comes to his top personnel, it's back business.

Money talks

Witkoff is cut from the same cloth as Trump: a New Yorker who made his fortune in the city, it is likely he will take a similar approach to his predecessor as Trump lines up his priorities.

Next for Trump will be securing a peace deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel and expanding his historic 2020 Abraham Accords which saw Israel normalize ties with several Arab countries including the United Arab Emirates.

In spite of his lack of diplomatic experience, Kushner was key to the deal, suggesting Trump sees the same potential in Witkoff, who will no doubt be working hard to learn from Kushner as he readies for the role.

Witkoff, 67, is “smart, personable and a talented negotiator with a common touch”, the Wall Street Journal cited peers as describing him, which will be critical as US-brokered peace talks continue between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Though Jewish and a vocal supporter of Israel, Witkoff, like Trump, is serious about business. Just last year, he sold Manhattan’s Park Lane Hotel to the Qatari Investment Authority, the country’s sovereign-wealth fund, for $623 million.

Old friends

Witkoff and Trump have been friends since 1986. Witkoff was a young attorney at white-shoe law firm Dreyer & Traub when they first met. Since then, Witkoff learnt from his former client and climbed the ranks of the world of real estate.

He has since been a loyal supporter of Trump, not only testifying in his defense at a Manhattan fraud trial but also helping raise huge funds for Trump's campaign through his network of high-net-worth Jewish donors after the Joe Biden administration threatened halting arms exports to Israel in May.

Speaking to The Bulwark podcast, Witkoff reported raising “six-figure and seven-figure donations”. “Every one of my friends started calling and asking, ‘What can I do for Donald Trump?’” he said.

An ardent Israel advocate

Witkoff has been highly complementary about Trump’s policy on Israel. “(His) leadership was good for Israel and the entire region.”

In a post thread on X, Witkoff suggested he will also have eyes on Iran which directly and through its military allies in the region has been in a war of attrition with Israel since the Iran-backed Hamas attack on October 7 last year killed 1,100 Israelis - mostly civilians - and saw 250 hostages taken captive.

Since then, in addition to direct attacks from Tehran, Iran’s allies in Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq and Syria as well as in the West Bank have launched attacks on Israel. Over 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's campaign in Gaza, local health authorities in Hamas-run enclave say.

“With President Trump, the Middle East experienced historic levels of peace and stability. Strength prevents wars," Witkoff wrote. Iran’s money was cut off which prevented their funding of global terror.”

A man of peace

Trump called his new Middle East envoy “an unrelenting voice for peace” as he prepared to take on one of the most complicated roles in foreign policy.

“Steve is a highly respected leader in business and philanthropy, who has made every project and community he has been involved with stronger and more prosperous,” Trump said.

News websites in Tehran continued heralding talks, as the EU foreign policy officials remained silent, with repeated requests for confirmation by Iran International on Monday remaining unanswered. On Sunday, Iran’s foreign ministry announced that the two sides will meet in Geneva to continue diplomatic efforts for resolving differences.

According to spokesman Esmail Baghaei, the upcoming talks with Germany, France, Britain (E3) and EU officials are seen as a follow-up to meetings held with them on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

“In this round of talks, which were planned in New York, a range of regional and international issues, including Palestine and Lebanon, as well as nuclear issues, will be discussed.”

Tehran finds itself in a difficult situation as the United States and the E3 sponsored a censure resolution last week at the Board of Governors meeting of the UN watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The resolution condemned Iran’s lack of cooperation with the agency, signaling perhaps more punitive measures in the future.

As pressure on the nuclear dispute ramps up, Tehran also faces the specter of Donald Trump’s return to office and an expected intensification of economic sanctions.

The conservative Farhikhtegan website in Tehran reported on Monday that Iran initiated the request for a meeting with European counterparts, highlighting its eagerness for diplomatic progress ahead of Trump’s return.

At the same time, contradictory signals persisted from Tehran. Hardline politicians continued to demand a move toward production of nuclear weapons in the face of the IAEA censure.

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf announced on Sunday that Iran has begun deploying advanced centrifuges which enrich uranium for the country’s nuclear program. He said, "The Islamic Republic of Iran's reciprocal response to this political misuse of the Board of Governors was immediately put into action, and the deployment of a set of new and advanced centrifuges has begun".

However, it remains unclear what Iran aims to achieve with the European powers, given that the primary actor is the United States, which will usher in a fundamentally different administration in just two months. Even the Biden administration, which tried to reach an accommodation in 2021 and 2022, has become skeptical of Tehran’s true intentions.

Media in Tehran quoted an Iran-based analyst on Monday as saying, “The Islamic Republic of Iran will not hesitate to engage in direct contact or negotiations with the new US administration if it concludes that doing so benefits the country's national interests.”

The optimistic tone from Iranian media and politicians about the prospects of diplomatic progress may also be an effort to counter the widespread pessimism gripping the country. Since September, the Iranian rial has significantly depreciated, driven by Israeli attacks on Tehran’s proxies, a direct airstrike on Iran, and mounting Western pressure over the nuclear issue. This currency devaluation has exacerbated inflation, which already stands at around 40%, further straining the economy.

However, not all commentators and analysts in Iran echo the official optimism. Some point out that Europe, much like the US has given up on a viable agreement with Iran, partly because of Tehran’s military support for Russia.

Hassan Beheshtipour, a well-known analyst told Rouydad 24 website in Tehran that he believes the European are more inclined to pursue punitive measures, such as resurrecting UN sanctions that were suspended by the 2015 JCPOA nuclear agreement.

"The Europeans prefer to move toward activating the snapback mechanism unless Iran, along with the UK, France, and Germany, changes its approach. If Iran adjusts its stance, a potential agreement might be reached to avoid triggering the snapback mechanism. However, for now, they are strongly pursuing its activation," he argued.

The country’s Interior Ministry statement identified the three men as Olimpi Tohirovic, 28, Mahmoud John Abdul Rahim 28, and Azizi Kamilovic, 33.

The state-run WAM news agency carried images of the three men, their faces blurred, and did not mention charges filed against them.

Israel was quick to vow revenge for the killing of the 28-year-old who has been at the heart of building the UAE’s nascent Jewish community, which has thrived since the 2020 Abraham Accords brought peace between Israel and Arab nations including the UAE.

On Sunday, following the discovery of Kogan’s body, after he had been missing since Thursday, Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “The murder of Zvi Kogan is a criminal anti-Semitic terrorist incident. The State of Israel will act in all of its abilities to bring to justice the criminals responsible for his death."

Israeli security officials were quick to point the blame at Iran, which has carried out missions in the UAE before. In 2020, a German-Iranian was abducted from Dubai and in 2013, a British-Iranian is believed to have been murdered by Iranian agents in Dubai.

Kogan ran the kosher supermarket in Dubai, where hundreds of Jews and Israelis live, and hundreds of thousands more have flocked for tourism since 2020.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Oded Ailam, former head of counter-intelligence at Israel’s Mossad, said: "The case raises a wave of questions and speculation about what happened, with Iran immediately suspected of being behind the incident.

“The pattern of action attributed to the Iranians is well known: recruiting local or foreign criminals to carry out acts of sabotage, kidnapping or assassination. This pattern has been observed in failed operations in Mumbai, Thailand, Turkey and even Israel, but Iranian determination, along with the principle of the "law of large numbers", meaning that eventually one day the attempts will succeed, continues to pose a real threat.”

Reuters reported that since 2020, court documents and public statements by government officials have shown at least 33 assassination or abduction attempts in the West in which local or Israeli authorities allege an Iran link.

There has been no formal mention of Iran from either Israel or the UAE in relation to the case, but earlier this year, the IRGC had plotted to attack key Jewish centers in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, using a Tajik national.

If the incident is proven to be Iran-backed, it will indeed risk ties between the two countries which are already at odds amid a battle over sovereignty over three disputed islands in the Persian Gulf.

Between 2016 and 2022, the two countries had no diplomatic ties, the UAE aligning with Saudi which cut links after the storming of the Saudi embassy in Tehran in 2016 following Riyadh's execution of a prominent Shia Muslim cleric.

Only last year did Saudi resume ties with its regional rival.

Mr Ailam told The Telegraph: “It is not surprising that at this stage the authorities in the UAE are refraining from public statements attacking Iran, and are devoting their efforts to clandestine activity.”

Kogan will be buried in Jerusalem, where he was born, on Tuesday.

“Issuing an arrest warrant is not enough; a death sentence for Netanyahu should be issued,” Khamenei said in a speech to members of the Basij militia.

The ICC’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, issued arrest warrants on November 21 for Netanyahu, former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Mohammed Deif, the Hamas military leader who is presumed dead.

These warrants allege war crimes and crimes against humanity stemming from the Gaza conflict triggered by Hamas’s attacks on Israeli civilians on October 7, 2023. However, Khamenei demanded harsher penalties for Israeli officials, accusing them of criminality in their military operations against Gaza and Lebanon.

The Gaza conflict led to direct military confrontation between Israel and Iran this year, and can still turn into a more serious war in the region. Iran also faces more potential sanctions and pressure by the incoming Trump administration.

Khamenei’s demand comes as international legal bodies, including the ICC, stand firmly opposed to capital punishment. Human rights organizations have repeatedly criticized Iran for its extensive use of the death penalty, labeling it a violation of international norms.

This contradiction underscores the disparity between Khamenei’s calls for justice abroad and the practices of his system at home, where capital punishment is frequently employed against political dissidents and protesters.

Khamenei justified his remarks by referencing Israel’s military response to Hamas’s October 7 attacks, which killed approximately 1,200 Israelis, including 46 Americans, and led to the abduction of nearly 250 hostages.

Hamas, classified as a terrorist organization by the European Union and the United States, receives significant support from Tehran.

Khamenei’s criticism of Israel comes as the Islamic Republic has cracked down on domestic dissent. Groups like Iran Human Rights have documented systematic killings and repression since protests erupted in 2022. Hundreds of protesters have been killed, and thousands more injured or imprisoned, with these actions widely condemned by international human rights organizations.

Khamenei also hailed the growth of the so-called Resistance Front, a term used by Iranian officials to describe Tehran-backed armed groups in the region, including Hamas, Hezbollah, and other militias.

“Today, the Resistance Front has grown significantly; tomorrow, this growth will multiply,” Khamenei said, emphasizing his commitment to supporting anti-Israel factions despite international criticism.

The sentences for Mehran Hasanzadeh and Hamid Abdollahzadeh add to growing concerns over the escalating use of capital punishment against political dissidents in the country.

Hasanzadeh, a resident of Oshnavieh, was convicted on charges of rebellion (Baghi), a capital offense under Iran's Islamic law.

According to HRANA human rights organization, the charge stemmed from an accusation of killing a member of the Basij paramilitary force.

“Mehran has been accused of killing a Basij member, which ultimately led to the charge of rebellion and the issuance of the death sentence against him,” a source familiar with the case told HRANA.

Hasanzadeh was previously detained during the 2022 protests, released on bail, and later rearrested before being transferred to Urmia Prison​.

In a separate case, Abdollahzadeh, a resident of Urmia, received a death sentence on suspicion of "membership in an opposition party."

Arrested by security forces in late 2023, he was taken to Urmia Prison following interrogation.

The sentencing of Hasanzadeh and Abdollahzadeh reflects a broader trend of intensifying repression since nationwide protests erupted in September 2022. Sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini while in custody of the morality police, the demonstrations have been met with severe crackdowns, including mass arrests and the targeting of civil and political activists.

In recent months, Iranian authorities have increasingly resorted to the death penalty. Human rights groups report that over 42 political prisoners are currently at risk of execution.

In its November 21 report, HRANA documented at least 133 executions in since the past month, averaging more than four per day. This surge follows another statistic from the Iran Human Rights Organization, which recorded at least 166 executions in October​​.

HRANA’s reports indicate an average of 811 executions occurred between October 2023 and October 2024, encompassing both political detainees and ordinary prisoners.

The heightened execution rate coincides with rising tensions between Iran and Israel, and some suggest that the government uses the cover of geopolitical crises to deflect attention from internal repression.