Israel exposes int’l Iranian terror operations, including plot to bomb pipeline

Israel’s Mossad uncovers Iranian terror operation orchestrating planned attacks in Azerbaijan, including plots targeting a critical oil pipeline.

By World Israel News Staff

Israel said Monday that an Iran-directed terror cell was thwarted in Azerbaijan several weeks ago after allegedly plotting attacks on the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and several Jewish and Israeli targets in the country.

According to a statement issued by the Mossad, the alleged targets included the BTC pipeline, which runs through Georgia and Turkey, as well as the Israeli Embassy in Baku, a synagogue in the Azerbaijani capital and leaders of the local Jewish community.

Reuters reported in March that Azerbaijan had identified the Israeli embassy, a synagogue, and a leader of the Mountain Jewish community among the suspected targets.

Israeli officials said members of the operational cell were arrested by Azerbaijani authorities while carrying explosive drones and fragmentation devices that had been smuggled into the country.

The suspects had also gathered intelligence on the targets through “physical surveillance and photography,” allegedly under direct orders from handlers in Iran, the Israeli statement said.

The cell had also smuggled explosive drones into Azerbaijan and collected intelligence on potential targets.

The announcement linked the plot to a broader Iranian network operating abroad.

The arrests in Azerbaijan helped expose a larger Iranian terror network that had targeted Israeli officials and assets around the world, the Mossad said, adding that the network was run by operatives in Division 4000 of IRGC intelligence.

Reuters reported last month that Azerbaijan said it had foiled several acts of “terrorist” sabotage planned by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including a planned attack on the BTC pipeline. Azerbaijan also said two Iranian citizens and one Azerbaijani national had worked together to bring more than seven kilograms of C-4 explosive into the country.

The BTC line is one of the most strategically important energy corridors in the region. BP says the pipeline is 1,768 kilometers long and has a throughput capacity of about 1.2 million barrels per day.

It carries oil to Europe via Georgia and Turkey and accounts for roughly one-third of Israel’s oil imports.

The plot surfaced amid already high tensions between Baku and Tehran.

In March, Baku accused Iran of sending four drones into its Nakhchivan exclave, injuring four people and damaging airport infrastructure – an accusation Iran denied.

OC Media reported that Azerbaijani authorities said at least 10 people were identified in connection with the plot, with several Azerbaijani nationals convicted and several Iranian nationals placed on a wanted list.