Cyprus: Plot by the Islamic Republic to Assassinate Israeli Traders Foiled with Mossad's Collaboration

A Cypriot official announced that a plot targeting Israeli traders in the country was foiled in a joint operation with Israel's Mossad following the arrest of two Iranian asylum seekers. Speaking on condition of anonymity, he told the Associated Press that the two Iranians, who were in contact with an individual linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), had been in police custody since November 3 and are currently undergoing deportation proceedings. The Cypriot official stated that the country's security services had been monitoring the two Iranian men for several weeks and arrested them just before the planned killings. He added that the intended targets were primarily Israeli traders. Cypriot officials mentioned that an Iranian individual managing these two asylum seekers had been traveling to and from the Turkish-controlled northern part of Cyprus and had crossed into southern Cyprus from a UN-controlled area to make contact with the two suspects. Additionally, the Associated Press reported that although the identity and location of this individual have not been disclosed, the Cypriot official indicated that he worked for the IRGC. The Israeli Prime Minister's office had warned last week on behalf of Mossad that the Islamic Republic's use of northern Cyprus for 'terrorist purposes' and attacks against Israelis and Jews is a matter of serious concern. Turkish Cypriot officials dismissed Israel's claims as 'baseless,' asserting that the issue was raised to divert international attention from Israel's 'inhumane attacks' against Palestinian civilians. The Cypriot official told the Associated Press that Nicosia seeks to maintain friendly relations with all countries in the region and does not wish to interfere in regional conflicts. Cypriot officials stated that cooperation with security and intelligence services in the region, Europe, and others has enabled them to effectively identify and counter such threats. According to the report, this is the third plot by the Islamic Republic to target Israelis in Cyprus in over a year. Voice of America reported on July 15, citing a senior Cypriot official, that police investigations confirmed Mossad's claims of a 'terrorist cell supported by the Islamic Republic' planning to kill Israelis and other Jews in Cyprus. Youssef Shahbazi Abbasalilou, head of the Islamic Republic's strike team, who was arrested by Mossad agents in Iran, had confessed during investigations that he was sent to Cyprus to attack Israeli traders. The report stated that Mossad provided this information to Cypriot officials, who foiled the plot. Additionally, the Israeli Prime Minister's office had reported in October 2021 about a plot by the Islamic Republic to assassinate Teddy Sagi, an Israeli billionaire in Cyprus. The office of then-Prime Minister Naftali Bennett stated that the failed attempt on Sagi was part of a 'planned terrorist action by the Islamic Republic against Israeli traders residing in Cyprus.'