Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency on Thursday publicized a secret operation in Iran that thwarted a plot to target Israelis in Cyprus.
The hit-squad head, captured by agents in Iran, provided information earlier this week that led Cypriot intelligence services to foil an attack that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) intended to target Israelis.
The man was named Yusef Shahabazi Abbasalilu. He admitted in the investigation that he was sent to Cyprus to harm Israeli businessmen.
#BREAKING: Video of the interrogation by Mossad of an #IRGCterrorists operative in #Iran over the thwarted terror attack in #Cyprus. This shows that even after IRGC-IO's head Hossein Taeb was replaced by Mohammad Kazemi after embarrassing lapses, the Iranian system still remains… pic.twitter.com/k0t9Hd9WaB
— Jason Brodsky (@JasonMBrodsky) June 29, 2023
“In a unique, daring mission within Iranian territory, the Mossad was able to seize the mastermind of the terror cell, who then admitted [to the terror plot] in detail during his interrogation, which led to exposing and the taking apart of the Cyprus terror cell,” the Mossad stated.
The Mossad passed the information along to Cypriot authorities, and Cyprus intelligence prevented the attack, local media reported on Sunday.
Abbasasulilu revealed that an operative from the intelligence unit of the IRGC sent him to Cyprus for the operation and that the Revolutionary Guards provided him with the assassination target details. In Cyprus, he was connected to a Pakistani group that had committed assassinations in the past.
“We will get any party that promotes terrorism against Jews and Israelis all over the world, including on the soil of Iran,” said a senior Mossad official.
The Islamic regime has made clear threats to murder not only Israelis but also Jewish leaders worldwide. A report in February revealed that Iran was creating maps of Jews to assassinate if Israel struck its nuclear facilities.
