LONDON: Stabbed Iranian journalist Pouria Zeraati said Tuesday he was “feeling much better” but he is still far from fully recovering.
The Iran International presenter spoke to BBC Radio 4’s “Today” program about the attack and the toll it has taken on his life.
“I’m feeling much better physically, but as you know, mental recovery takes time,” Zeraati said, adding that “the show must go on”.
The journalist was attacked late last month outside his home in south London. He was stabbed by three men and hospitalized with injuries to his leg.
Recalling the moment of the assault, Zeraati told BBC Radio 4 that he was going to his car to head to the studio when a “suspicious” looking man approached him and asked for some change.
“He pretended to be asking for change, as I was saying, ‘excuse me I don’t have any change,’ and I was going to unlock the door, the second man approached,” he said.
“They grabbed me from the front, very strong, I couldn’t move my hands” before one of the attackers stabbed him in the leg.
The pair immediately fled in a car that was waiting to drive them to Heathrow Airport.
“I just noticed all my belongings are with me, including my mobile phones, my watch, my AirPods, my wallet with cash in it, so the moment I just saw everything is with me, I noticed this is regarding my job, because it wasn’t a robbery,” he told “Today.”
He was taken to the hospital shortly after and later discharged. He is currently staying in a safe place under police supervision.
The Metropolitan Police said the suspects had left the UK but are still investigating the reason behind the attack.
Staff of Iran International have previously been targeted by threats linked to the Iranian regime, and the dissident broadcast had been listed as a terrorist organization in Iran for its coverage of Iran’s 2022 uprising.
Iran’s charge d’affaires in the UK, which serves as the head of its diplomatic mission, has denied any link between the Iranian regime and the attack on Zeraati.
The journalist returned to work earlier this month as a way to “send the message back”.
“I’m here, the show is going on, and my audience is still watching this show,” Zeraati said.
