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Two Iranians arrested in Cyprus for allegedly targeting Israeli citizens
Cypriot security authorities, in partnership with the Mossad, thwarted the Iranian scheme
December 10, 2023 16:21
Cypriot security authorities, in partnership with the Mossad, thwarted the Iranian scheme
December 10, 2023 16:21(JNS) Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office on Sunday have confirmed a Cypriot newspaper’s report of an Iranian plot to target Israeli citizens on the island nation.
Cypriot security authorities, in partnership with the Mossad, thwarted the Iranian scheme.
Thanks to their counter-terrorist activity, information was gathered leading to the exposure of the threat, its method of operation and targets, and other Iranian plans to kill innocent people in Cyprus and other arenas.
Israel’s National Security Council said that since the outbreak of the war against Hamas on October 7, many Israelis have temporarily moved to Cyprus, making the Iranian presence in northern Cyprus for terrorist purposes particularly troubling.
According to Cyprus’s Kathimerini newspaper on Sunday, two Iranians, who arrived on the island as asylum seekers, gathered information about Israeli targets and citizens.
They were in contact with a representative of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a US designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.
This would not be the first time that Iranian agents have infiltrated Cyprus, which is a popular vacation spot for Israelis and also serves as a business base for Israeli entrepreneurs.
In June, the Mossad intelligence agency exposed a secret Iranian operation to target Israelis in Cyprus.
The head of the Iranian hit squad, Yusef Shahabazi Abbasalilu, was captured by Mossad agents in Iran. He admitted in the investigation that he was sent to Cyprus to harm Israeli businessmen.
The Mossad passed the information along to Cypriot authorities, whose intelligence services prevented the attack.
Similarly, in 2021, an Azeri national working for Iran was arrested in a plot to target Israeli business tycoon Teddy Sagi. The founder of gambling software company Playtech and owner of London’s Camden Market splits his time between the UK, Cyprus and Israel.