Netanyahu Welcomes Foiling of 'Islamic Republic Terrorist Attack' Against Israelis in Cyprus

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, praised the thwarting of a reported attack linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targeting Israeli interests in Cyprus. According to Reuters, Netanyahu's office stated, 'Israel welcomes the thwarting of an Iranian terrorist attack on Israeli targets in Cyprus.' The statement added, 'Israel operates in various ways everywhere to protect Jews and Israelis and will continue its actions 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 foiled in the country. The Times of Israel noted that based on these reports, the attack was believed to be planned by the IRGC. Iranian officials did not respond to these accusations, but some Iranian state media, including Mehr, wrote that Israeli officials had 'accused' the Islamic Republic 'to legitimize their regime.' Earlier this year, the Israeli National Security Council warned that Cyprus and Greece are countries where the Islamic Republic is likely to target Jews and Israelis. Cyprus and Greece are among the popular countries for Israeli tourists. A Greek site reported that this plot was foiled by Cypriot intelligence agencies in cooperation with foreign agencies, which, according to the Times of Israel, are said to be Israeli and American. The report stated that a cell of attackers was using the northern part of the island of Cyprus as a base for a potential attack, and Cypriot intelligence had been closely monitoring these attackers for several months. The Times of Israel writes that Israeli officials have not yet confirmed this report. About three months prior to this, Greek media reported that officials in the country, with the help of Mossad, the Israeli intelligence agency, arrested two Pakistanis who intended to attack Israeli targets, including a Jewish restaurant and a synagogue. Mossad and Greek officials stated that these two were part of a larger terrorist network of the Islamic Republic. The Iranian embassy in Greece denied any connection to this case. Eli Cohen, Israel's Foreign Minister, previously met with Cypriot Foreign Minister Konstantinos Kombos and Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias in early April of this year. The three officials discussed threats from the Islamic Republic, such as assassination plots on European soil. This meeting took place three days after foiling an attack plan against Jews and Israelis in Athens, which it is claimed the Islamic Republic was involved in planning.