The United States on Friday, November 7, accused Iran of orchestrating a plan to assassinate Israel’s ambassador to Mexico—an alleged effort to widen the countries’ growing tensions beyond the Middle East.
According to a US official who spoke anonymously, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Quds Force initiated the operation in late 2024, but it was disrupted earlier this year.
“The plot was contained and poses no current threat,” the official said, describing it as part of Iran’s long-standing pattern of targeting diplomats, journalists, dissidents, and critics worldwide.
No additional details were released about how the plan was thwarted. Iran’s mission to the UN declined to comment.
US intelligence agencies have repeatedly cautioned that Iranian operatives seek targets in Latin America, where Tehran maintains strong ties with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
The alleged operation comes amid a cycle of retaliatory attacks between Israel and Iran. After an Israeli strike on Iran’s embassy compound in Damascus in April 2024 killed several senior Revolutionary Guard officers, Tehran vowed revenge, later launching missiles and drones at Israel. A year later, Israel carried out extensive strikes inside Iran, killing more than 1,000 people, with the US joining attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Iran, a key backer of Hamas, has been linked to multiple plots against Israeli and Jewish interests abroad. Australia recently expelled Iran’s ambassador over alleged Iranian involvement in arson attacks on a synagogue and kosher restaurant.
Latin America has previously witnessed violence tied to Middle Eastern conflicts, including the 1994 bombing of a Jewish centre in Buenos Aires that killed 85 people—an attack Argentina and Israel blame on Hezbollah acting under Iranian orders.
Despite its hostility toward Israel, Iran still hosts an established Jewish community. Mexico, the location of the alleged plot, also has a sizable Jewish population and maintains diplomatic relations with Israel while keeping a more cautious stance on the Gaza war.
0 Comments