On Sunday night, Cypriot media outlets reported that an Iranian conspiracy to attack Israeli people in Limassol had been foiled, and the Israeli intelligence service Mossad verified these claims.
On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lauded the prevention of an Iranian strike against Israeli objectives in Cyprus.
The conspiracy was thwarted thanks to effective communication between Cypriot and Israeli intelligence. The media in Cyprus has reported that “foreign counterparts,” presumably including the United States, alerted local intelligence services of the impending attack.
Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC)-affiliated intelligence agencies allegedly orchestrated the attack on Jews, according to local media. Reports indicate that Israeli and American secret agencies, among others, collaborated with Cypriot intelligence to foil an assassination attempt.
Terrorists from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps flew into the Turkish side of Cyprus from Russia, and the Cypriot intelligence agencies and Mossad followed their every move for months.
From there, agents were sent to Greek Cyprus, where they allegedly monitored the Chabad House, Israeli merchants, and Israeli visitors in Limassol.
The intelligence services of the island nation maintained a close eye on the primary suspect, but he escaped, prompting the issuance of an international arrest order. Local law enforcement uncovered a hidden lair utilized by the group, where they discovered weapons and other materials that may have been used in the assault.
The cell has ties to a previous network of Pakistani agents in Greece who planned to bomb a Chabad House in the capital city of Athens. The Iranian mode of operation was quite similar: Tehran uses foreign mercenaries so that they may deny responsibility for any captures that may occur.
This is the second major incident in as many years involving the continuous actions of the Revolutionary Guards on the island of Cyprus. An Iranian Revolutionary Guards member with a Russian passport was previously apprehended in Iran. He had intended to kill Israeli businessmen during a terrorist strike against Israel.
Cyprus’ intelligence has been closely watching potential threats over the last several months following the arrest two years ago of an Azeri suspect with a Russian passport who had been operating on behalf of the IRGC. The terrorist organization recruited members from areas outside of Cyprus, where Turkish troops now occupy the island’s northern region.
