Cypriot authorities prevented a planned Iranian terrorist attack on Jews on the island state, local news reported on Sunday.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps planned the attack, which was stopped in cooperation between Cyprus and Western partners. Those partners are likely the US and Israel, according to Phile News.
Jerusalem and Nicosia have worked together to foil Iranian plots to attack Israelis in the past.
In 2021, they arrested a Russian-Azerbaijani hitman hired by the IRGC to kill Israeli businessmen in Cyprus. Billionaire Teddy Sagi, among others, were evacuated to Israel at the time.
Following the arrest two years ago of an Azeri suspect with a Russian passport who has been acting on behalf of the IRGC, Cyprus’ intelligence was closely monitoring potential threats over the last few months, the report said.
The network of terrorists allegedly sent their recruits from territories that are not controlled by Cyprus, which has its northern part occupied by Turkish forces.
Earlier this year, Greek security services detained two undocumented immigrants from the Sargodha District of Pakistan for planning the Athens attack, with the aim of killing Israelis and Jews staying in the country.
The pair, 29-year-old Hussein Abid and 27-year-old Irtaza Haider, were recruited by Tehran’s security and intelligence bodies. Local media reports said that they were in the final stages of planning their attack and planned to recruit others.
They were planning an attack on a Chabad Jewish site in Athens.
These operatives are reportedly part of a large network in the Islamic Republic and has constructed throughout its efforts to conduct terror attacks abroad. The Revolutionary Guards are said to manage agents with criminal and security ties.
These agents then locate, recruit and direct foreign fighters with religious and ideological motives to carry out their work for them – far from Iran.
According to a security official, Reza also recruited Syed Fakhar Abbas, a Pakistani criminal, as a fighter. Abbas, 30, is wanted for murder in Pakistan, and he had fled the country's authorities.
Under Iranian protection, he promotes terrorism around the world, including in the Middle East and the Caucasus. Abbas tried to carry out the attack in Greece through Haidar and Abid, until they were arrested and their plot was thwarted.
READ MORE: Continuing exodus of Pakistanis to the West via Greece.
