Iranian terror plot against Israeli foiled in Turkey

Eight suspects have been arrested in a foiled Iranian plot to assassinate an Israeli businessman living in Istanbul, according to Turkish media.

An Iranian cell which included some Turkish operatives had planned to kill Yair Geller, who owns a company specialising in aerospace technology.

But Turkish intelligence had the hit squad under surveillance and the authorities swooped before they could carry out the plan.

According to a report in the Times of Israel, citing Turkish newspapers, the plot was intended to be in revenge for the killing of Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh in 2020.

Details of the assassination of Fakhrizadeh who was killed by a remote-controlled gun smuggled into Iran by Mossad were revealed in a JC exclusive last year.

The TOI reported that the Turks shared information about the revenge attack who moved Mr Geller to a safe house.

He told the Walla new site he felt safe in Turkey. “Since it happened I’ve been very careful,” he said.

The squad’s leader was reported to be an Iranian intelligence officer living in Iran.

On Saturday, Israel’s Channel 12 reported that Mossad had helped to thwart a dozen terror attacks on Israelis in Turkey over the past two years.