Mother of gunman hired to kill Masih Alinejad identifies co-conspirator to order hit

March 14, 2025   

(Iran International) The mother of Khalid Mehdiyev, the gunman who tried to kill Iranian-American journalist Masih Alinejad, delivered emotional testimony in court Friday identifying her son’s alleged co-conspirator Polad Omarov as the man who ordered the hit job.

Appearing visibly shaken in court, Ms. Mehdiyeva recounted a video phone call Omarov made to her and her husband sometime in 2022.

“My husband was praying. We had a caller, and I covered my head. We exchanged hellos,” said Ms. Mehdiyeva. “He said, ‘My name is Polad. Where is your son? I sent him to do a job for me.'”

He allegedly told Ms. Mehdiyeva that her son had failed at the task he ordered him to do. Mehdiyev’s attempt to murder Alinejad was unsuccessful. Because of the botched murder attempt, Omarov told Ms. Mehdiyeva her son put all of them in trouble.

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