Israel thwarts Iranian plot to assassinate Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Ronen Bar
Shin Bet revealed an Iranian assassination plan targeting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Ministry Yoav Galant, and Shin Bet director Ronen Bar.
Shin Bet revealed on Thursday that Iran had plotted an assassination of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Galant, along with Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar.
The Mossad was widely blamed for the murder of Hamas’ political leader Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran. Israel, however, has not claimed any credit.
The Islamic Republic also considered assassinating the former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennet and other senior Israeli defense officials, but at a vaguer level.
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The plot involved using an Israeli businessman, who had spent a lot of time in Turkey and dealt with Turkish and Iranian people in financial matters to develop assassination schemes in Israel.
In order to carry out the plan, two Turkish citizens, Guneid Aslan and Andrei Farouk Aslan, contacted the Israeli to conduct financial transactions. They invited him to Samandag, a Turkish city, to meet with the two representatives of Edi, a wealthy Iranian. The meeting took place in May.
Israeli Business in Iran
When he heard that Edi was not allowed to leave Iran and go to Turkey, he agreed for himself to be smuggled into Iran by car, where he met Edi, as well as a member from the Iranian security establishment, named Haj.
Initially, the Israeli businessman had asked for a million dollars to begin any activity.
The Israeli businessman visited Iran again in August, receiving 5,000 Euros to begin his financial, logistical, and weapon-related actions. This included possibly converting a Mossad spy into a double agent.
In August, during his second trip to Iran, he again was smuggled into Iran, this time by truck. He met with Edi again, but this time he also met with a number of other unidentified Iranian officials. They asked him to help with the assassination plans during this meeting.
The Israeli businessman also received instructions to record videos of some Israeli sites to be used for intelligence gathering and surveillance purposes, as well as to send threats to Israelis whom Iran had contacted in order to perform missions that did not conform to Iranian directives.
In August, during his second trip to Iran, he again was smuggled into Iran, this time by truck. He met with Edi again, but this time he also met with a number of other unidentified Iranian officials. They asked him to help with the assassination plans during this meeting.
The Israeli businessman originally requested one million dollars to begin any activity.
Two birds and one Israeli
The Iranians also asked the businessman during his second visit to Iran if he could recruit Russians or Americans to be used in the killing of Iranians who are opposed to the Iranian regime and live in Europe and America.
The Shin Bet didn’t provide any indications as to whether the Israeli businessman had made any progress towards any terror activities. It did, however, stress that any involvement in a wartime situation with hostile Iranians or even on Iranian soil was considered a serious security offense.
Shin Bet also said that Iran seemed to be continuing to push hard for terror activities of this kind, so that uncovering one single plot didn’t end the danger.
On Thursday, a businessman was charged with a crime.
Shin Bet opaque timing
The Shin Bet did not explain why it released the information on Thursday. This was two days after the publication of the Hezbollah’s attempt to assassinate Moshe Yaalon, former Defense Minister.
It was also unclear whether there was any coordination or delineation between Iran and Hezbollah in regards to the various plots, or who would be targeted who.
When asked about timing, Shin Bet responded initially that cases were published according to the date the indictments had been filed and the date the courts lifting the gag orders relating them.
The Jerusalem Post pointed out that law enforcement and the Shin Bet have significant control over when to file indictments or request the lifting of gag orders. As such, the answer initially provided did not answer the question. The Post is waiting for more clarifications.
Turkish cooperation
The Shin Bet has not yet replied to the question of whether the Turkish authorities were cooperating with Israel in order to target its citizens who are involved in this plot, as they have done in the past.
The issue of Israel’s cooperation with Turkish authorities is extremely sensitive. Ankara, however, has made public some past cooperation when Iran attempted to kill Jews in Turkey and the Mossad assisted Turkish authorities to thwart that plot.
