Israel's Mossad spy agency announced on Thursday that its agents in Iran had apprehended the alleged leader of an Iranian assassination squad that was planning to assassinate Israeli businesspeople in Cyprus.
The Mossad, which rarely communicates with the media, reported that the individual had provided investigators with a detailed "confession." According to the report, the information was relayed to authorities in Cyprus, where security services dismantled the cell.
Mossad Busted an Alleged Plot Against Israelis in Cyprus
Breaking: In a counter-terrorist operation on Iranian soil, the Mossad apprehended the head of a terror cell which planned on attacking Israelis in Cyprus, thwarting the attack.
— Israel ישראל (@Israel) June 29, 2023
Senior Mossad official: "We will reach whoever foments terrorism against Jews and Israelis around the… pic.twitter.com/UKZDVQNe11
The Israeli claim could not be immediately verified, and neither Iran nor Cyprus immediately responded. Israel views Iran as its greatest adversary, citing the Iranian government's calls for Israel's destruction and support for militant organizations hostile to Israel.
In addition, it accuses Iran of attempting to develop a nuclear weapon, which Iran denies. Israel is believed to be responsible for a series of attacks on Iranian nuclear experts and facilities inside Iran over the years. Israel strikes Iranian targets frequently in neighboring Syria, as per AP News.
Israel revealed five years ago that the Mossad had seized from an Iranian warehouse a vast collection of documents pertaining to Iran's nuclear program. Israel released footage on Thursday of a man it identified as the leader of the Iranian cell, Yusef Shahabazi Abbasalilu, stating that he received his directives from Iran's potent Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Moreover, he claims that he scouted the target and photographed the target's residence in Cyprus, but escaped the Mediterranean island nation and returned to Iran after learning that police were searching for him. It was unclear whether the individual spoke under duress.
The statement comes after the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lauded "the thwarting of an Iranian terrorist attack against Israeli targets in Cyprus" on Sunday, without providing any additional information.
Iran's Nuclear Program
Local media, citing unverified sources, reported a foiled plot to attack Israeli or Jewish targets by suspects operating from an unrecognized statelet in the north of the divided Mediterranean island. Cypriot authorities have declined to comment on the matter. AFP was unable to verify a Mossad-distributed video in which a man claiming to be Abbasalilu describes his arrival in Cyprus and plans to murder an Israeli with the assistance of "Pakistanis" there.
According to Al Arabiya, the individual then recalls being instructed by his Iranian superiors to return to Iran because Cypriot authorities were pursuing him.
"As a result of the intelligence he provided to investigators, the cell was dismantled in an operation by the Cypriot security services," Mossad said, noting "a string of arrests in Cyprus last week."
The Israeli spy agency stated that it had uncovered "a continuing endeavor to carry out terrorist attacks and injure Israelis and Jews worldwide."
Per WION, Iran denies Israel's allegations that it is attempting to acquire nuclear weapons. Netanyahu stated at a military ceremony on Thursday that Israel would not be constrained by any international agreement regarding Tehran's nuclear program, adding, "We will retain our right and responsibility to defend ourselves independently against any threat."
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