Following the attack, the assailant died by suicide outside a Tehran courthouse, according to officials.
Iranian state media reported Saturday that two Supreme Court justices were assassinated in Tehran. The judiciary’s media center identified the perpetrator as having taken his own life after an attempted arrest.
The victims, Hojjat al-Islam Razini and Hojjat al-Islam wal-Muslimeen Moqisseh, each headed a different court branch. The judiciary described them as “brave and experienced” judges heavily involved in combating national security threats.
The judiciary’s media center characterized the attack as pre-planned, stating initial findings suggest the assailant had no connection to the court. Officials said that an attempt to apprehend the gunman was made immediately after the attack, resulting in his suicide. An investigation is ongoing.
While Iranian authorities refrained from assigning blame, they noted extensive recent efforts to identify, arrest, and prosecute individuals linked to Israel and US-affiliated groups.
Razini survived a 1998 assassination attempt involving a magnetic bomb attached to his car, an attack that left him injured. At the time, he headed the Tehran judiciary.
Both judges were reportedly involved in the alleged purging of dissidents in 1988, following the Iran-Iraq war. The main target then was the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK), which had invaded Iran with Iraqi support.
The MEK, with a blend of Islamic and Marxist ideologies, has been based in Albania for decades. Iranian officials claim the group’s actions have resulted in over 12,000 civilian deaths since the 1979 revolution.