New evidence of Iranian plot to kill foreign diplomats: Report

Intelligence agencies of four countries have uncovered new evidence of an alleged campaign run by the Iran-linked operatives to kill foreign diplomats in at least seven countries, including India, in the past 13 months, a media report said today.

Referring to the investigations carried out by intelligence agencies of several countries, The Washington Post said today that “US and Middle Eastern officials now see the attempts as part of a broader campaign by Iran-linked operatives to kill foreign diplomats in at least seven countries over a span of 13 months”.

These countries, according to the daily, include the United States, Azerbaijan, India, Turkey, Thailand, Pakistan and the former Soviet republic of Georgia.

In the US, authorities foiled assassination attempt on the Saudi Ambassador in Washington, while in Azerbaijan security agencies early this year made a series of arrest to foil a bid to kill American diplomats.

In India this year there was an attempt to kill an Israeli diplomat.

Israeli and Indian officials have described substantial Iranian links to a car bombing in February that seriously wounded the wife of an Israeli diplomat in New Delhi, the daily said.

“In recent weeks, investigators working in four countries have amassed new evidence tying the disparate assassination attempts to one another and linking all of them to either Iran-backed Hezbollah militants or operatives based inside Iran, according to US and Middle Eastern security officials,” the daily said.