Israel bracing for Iranian revenge for IRGC officer’s assassination

Israelis traveling to the Gulf states, Azerbaijan and Turkey are urged to be cautious.

By David Hellerman, World Israel News

Israeli officials are concerned Iran will attack Israeli or Jewish interests abroad in revenge for the assassination of a senior paramilitary officer in Tehran on Sunday.

Channel 12 News reported that Israel will likely issue advisories about traveling to countries which border Iran, including the Persian Gulf states and possibly Turkey.

The report stressed that there are no intelligence warnings of specific attacks.

Rather, Israelis visiting the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Azerbaijan, and Turkey are advised to be cautious.

The heightened concern follows the assassination of Col. Hassan Sayyad Khodaei of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) on Sunday. He was shot and killed in his car outside his home by unknown assassins on a motorcycle in broad daylight.

Reports indicated that Khodaei was the deputy commander of the IRGC’s Unit 840, which is said to be responsible for abductions and assassinations around the world. In recent years, Iranian plots against Israelis have been thwarted in Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Kenya and Columbia.

Other sources told the Times that Khodaei was a key figure in providing Hezbollan and Iranian proxies in Syria with advanced drone technology and tactical advice.

The New York Times — citing an unidentified intelligence official of unspecified nationality — reported on Wednesday that Israel notified Washington it was responsible for the hit. Israel blames the U.S. for the leak, saying it endangers Israeli lives and increases Tehran’s motivation for revenge.

AssassinationIran proxiesIranian threatIRGCQuds ForceUS-Israel relations