Alleged Iranian plot to kill Israel’s ambassador to Mexico was thwarted, US and Israel say

Mexican authorities, with support from United States and Israeli intelligence agencies, reportedly disrupted an Iranian plot to assassinate the Israeli ambassador to Mexico, according to Israeli and U.S. officials. However, Mexican authorities have denied any knowledge of such a threat.

The alleged plot to kill Ambassador Einat Kranz Neiger was reportedly developed in late 2023 and remained active through mid-2024 before being neutralized, according to U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the intelligence. These officials described the plot as “contained” and no longer posing a current threat, though they did not provide specific details about how the plot was discovered or dismantled.

Iran’s mission to the United Nations declined to comment on the allegations when contacted.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry publicly thanked Mexican security and law enforcement services “for thwarting a terrorist network directed by Iran that sought to attack Israel’s ambassador in Mexico.” In their statement, Israeli officials emphasized that their security and intelligence community would “continue to work tirelessly, in full cooperation with security and intelligence agencies around the world, to thwart terrorist threats from Iran and its proxies against Israeli and Jewish targets worldwide.”

The reported plot highlights the ongoing tensions between Iran and Israel, which have intensified during the Israel-Hamas conflict that began in October 2023. Intelligence experts note that Iranian proxy activities have expanded globally in recent years, with diplomatic targets becoming increasingly vulnerable.

In a surprising development late Friday, Mexico’s foreign relations and security ministries issued a joint statement denying any knowledge of the alleged assassination attempt. “They have no report with respect to a supposed attempt against the ambassador of Israel in Mexico,” the statement read. Mexican officials further emphasized their commitment to maintaining “fluid communication with all accredited diplomatic representations” and reaffirmed their “respectful and coordinated collaboration, always within the framework of national sovereignty, with all security agencies that request it.”

This contradiction between U.S. and Israeli claims and Mexico’s denial raises questions about information sharing between the countries or possible differences in threat assessment methodologies.

According to intelligence documents cited by one U.S. official, an officer in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps named Hasan Izadi, who also uses the alias Masood Rahnema, allegedly orchestrated the plot while serving as an aide to Iran’s ambassador to Venezuela. This suggests potential coordination between Iranian diplomatic missions in Latin America, a region where Iran has sought to expand its influence in recent decades.

The U.S. State Department, responding to Mexico’s denial, offered no immediate explanation for the discrepancy. Instead, they emphasized that “Iran’s international abhorrent plots, aimed at its own citizens, Americans, and citizens of other nations are inconsistent with the behavior of a civilized state.” The department added that the United States is “working with likeminded governments to share best practices and threat information, raise awareness about the issue of Iran’s lethal plots, work together to counter these threats, and hold perpetrators accountable.”

When approached about Mexico’s contradictory statement, a spokesperson for the Israeli Embassy in Mexico declined to comment further.

This incident comes amid growing concerns about Iranian operations abroad. The United States has long accused Iran of attempting to assassinate current and former U.S. officials as well as Israelis, including operations planned on American soil. Security analysts suggest that diplomatic tensions between Iran and Western nations, particularly following the collapse of the nuclear deal and increasing sanctions, have contributed to an environment of heightened risk for diplomatic personnel globally.

The Israeli embassy in Mexico has likely implemented additional security measures in response to these reports, though officials have not disclosed specific protocols.