Iranian journalist defiant after stabbing in London

An Iranian TV journalist who was stabbed outside his London home has posted a picture from his hospital bed, as counterterrorism police were called in to investigate the horrifying knife attack. Pouria Zeraati was described as being in a stable condition after being stabbed in the leg during the incident, which took place in south London on Friday.

- BARNEY DAVIS

Iran International spokesperson Adam Baillie said yesterday that the incident was “hugely frightening” but that Mr Zeraati was “doing very well” and recovering in hospital. Hours later, Mr Zeraati posted a picture of himself in hospital, flashing the peace sign.

Iran International, a London-based dissident channel, aims to provide independent coverage of Iran, but the Tehran regime has declared it a terrorist organisation. No arrests have been made so far. Iran’s charge d’affaires in the UK, Mehdi Hosseini Matin, said “we deny any link” to the incident.

It came as witnesses claimed that Mr Zeraati’s attackers were “clearly laughing” as they ran from the scene of the stabbing before getting into a car. A neighbour, who did not wish to be named, said he was walking down the residential street with a friend and witnessed the aftermath.

He told the Evening Standard: “It’s a very quiet suburban road, and we saw two young men sprinting towards us, about 20 yards away, and [they] then got into a car. They sped off.