An acting U.S. Attorney has announced charges against Mohammad Reza Nouri, a captain in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), in connection with the 2022 murder of U.S. citizen Stephen Troell, who was living in Iraq. Nouri faces charges including murder and terrorism for allegedly orchestrating the attack on Troell as retaliation for the 2020 killing of Qasem Soleimani. The Southern District of New York U.S. Attorney's Office states that Nouri was involved in surveillance and coordinating the assassination.
Edward Y. Kim, the acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, detailed the charges. "As alleged, Mohammad Reza Nouri, a Captain in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, orchestrated the murder of American Steven Troell in Iraq. Nouri is alleged to have gathered intelligence on Troell’s daily routine and whereabouts, procured weapons and vehicles, and provided safe harbor to the operatives who carried out the sinister plot to brutally attack Troell in front of his wife. As alleged, the Iranian regime is actively targeting U.S. citizens, such as Troell, living in countries around the world for kidnapping and execution both to repress and silence dissidents critical of the regime and to take vengeance for the death of Qasem Soleimani. This Office will not stand by when an American is attacked and murdered in cold blood, and we will continue working with our law enforcement partners to bring Nouri to justice," said Kim in the U.S. Attorney's Office release.
Nouri, captured in Iraq in March 2023 and convicted by an Iraqi court for his role in the murder, still faces multiple charges in the U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland emphasized the U.S. Justice Department's commitment to combating terrorism, stressing that it will not tolerate attacks on Americans worldwide. FBI Director Christopher A. Wray also highlighted the importance of protecting U.S. citizens from such acts of violence.
FBI Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg detailed the alleged actions of Nouri leading up to the attack, indicating the defendant’s role in gathering information and coordination with a co-conspirator to procure supplies that were relied upon during their assault on Troell. The FBI will to actively pursue anyone who harms Americans, vowing to bring IRGC operatives to justice. As stated in the filed Complaint, the orchestrated murder of Troell was a manifestation of Iran's broader strategy to target U.S. nationals worldwide, with the IRGC having been previously designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the State Department.
With the charges laid out, they remain accusations, and Nouri will continue to be presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The future proceedings are set to evaluate the serious and numerous allegations, which carry maximum penalties that range from life imprisonment to the death penalty. Kim also acknowledged the significant contributions of Iraqi authorities and various U.S. agencies in advancing the investigation.
