Mossad Obtains Confession from 'Yousef Shahbazi Abbasali-Lou' Regarding 'Israeli Assassination Plot'

The Israeli intelligence and operations agency, Mossad, on Thursday, July 8, released a video of the confessions of an individual identified as Yousef Shahbazi Abbasali-Lou, stating that he, as an agent of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was involved in a plot to assassinate Israeli citizens in Cyprus. Mossad claimed that senior IRGC officials provided weapons and instructions for attacking Israeli traders in Cyprus to Yousef Shahbazi Abbasali-Lou. Mossad stated that its operatives inside Iran arrested this individual and recorded his confession video. A senior Mossad official warned, 'We will deal with any individual, anywhere in the world, including inside Iran, who promotes terrorist actions against Jews and Israelis.' In his confessions, Yousef Shahbazi Abbasali-Lou stated that his entry into Northern Cyprus was facilitated by Hassan Shushtari-Zadeh, a member of the IRGC's intelligence organization. According to him, Hassan Shushtari-Zadeh mentioned that IRGC operatives, who had previously carried out a 'significant' assassination operation, would take him from Northern Cyprus to the other side of Cyprus. During his stay, this IRGC operative was in contact with Iranian, Pakistani, and local IRGC operatives and obtained weapons with their assistance. According to the plan, Yousef Shahbazi Abbasali-Lou was supposed to follow an Israeli citizen and assassinate him at night in a secluded location. He had taken several photographs and gathered information around the home of this Israeli citizen, sending it to Hassan Shushtari-Zadeh. After Yousef Shahbazi Abbasali-Lou came under surveillance by Cypriot intelligence agencies, he was instructed by Hassan Shushtari-Zadeh to hide his weapon and return to Iran. This terrorist attack was thwarted with the cooperation of Mossad and Cypriot intelligence agencies. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the thwarting of the reported attack linked to the IRGC against Israeli targets in Cyprus last week. According to Reuters, Netanyahu's office stated, 'Israel welcomes the thwarting of the Iranian terrorist attack on Israeli targets in Cyprus.' The statement added, 'Israel acts in various ways everywhere to protect Jews and Israelis and will continue its efforts to eliminate Iranian terrorism wherever it raises its head, including on Iranian soil.' Netanyahu's statement did not provide further details. On Sunday, July 4, Cypriot media reported that a 'terrorist attack' targeting Jews and Israelis had been thwarted in the country. The Times of Israel stated that based on these reports, the planned attack is believed to be linked to the IRGC. Iranian officials did not respond to these accusations, but some Iranian state news agencies, including Mehr, reported that Israeli officials had 'accused' the Islamic Republic to gain legitimacy for their regime. Conversations with Babak Taghvaei regarding the details of the thwarted terrorist operation in Cyprus.