An Austrian of Egyptian Descent Identified as the Attacker at the Residence of the Iranian Ambassador in Vienna

Austrian media, citing the country's police, have identified the assailant at the residence of the Iranian ambassador in Vienna as 'Mohammad E. M.', a 26-year-old Austrian of Egyptian descent. Herald Soros, a police spokesperson, announced on Monday, March 12, that this young man attacked the guard of the Iranian ambassador's residence in Vienna shortly before midnight on Sunday by pulling a knife from his pocket. According to police reports, the guard initially attempted to stop the assailant with pepper spray, but when that failed, he used his firearm. The guard shot the assailant four times, stopping him, and the assailant died at the scene. Following the incident, the guard did not sustain 'serious injuries'; however, Austrian police stated that if the 23-year-old guard had not been wearing a protective vest, he would have 'definitely lost his life' due to the knife wounds. The motive of the assailant has not yet been disclosed, but according to the Vienna newspaper 'Kurier', the police spokesperson indicated that the presence of a terrorist motive in this case cannot be confirmed or denied. Comprehensive investigations are ongoing, including searching the assailant's home and questioning those close to him. Following the midnight attack, the streets surrounding the Iranian ambassador's residence were closed for a period. The police have also announced an increase in security oversight of diplomatic sites throughout Vienna. Additionally, the Austrian Ministry of Defense reported the addition of another soldier as a guard for the Iranian embassy. According to the spokesperson for the Austrian Foreign Ministry, Abadollah Molaei, the Iranian ambassador, was at his residence with his wife and two children at the time of the attack. Thomas Schnoll added that the recent attack 'will not affect bilateral relations.' Bahram Qasemi, the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, reacted to the news of the attack on the ambassador's residence, stating that Tehran is awaiting further updates from the police investigation and has requested the Austrian government to address this matter promptly and 'pay more attention to the protection of Iranian diplomatic sites in this country.' The Iranian ambassador's residence in Vienna is one of the city's historic villas. The 'Blaimschain' villa belonged to a Jewish family during World War II and was confiscated by the Nazis. This villa was the site of negotiations for the formation of a provisional government in the Second Republic of Austria led by Karl Renner. Iran purchased this villa in 1958. According to Austrian media reports, this is the third knife attack in recent days in the capital of this country. In one of these attacks last week, a 23-year-old Afghan severely injured three members of a family with knife strikes.