Iranian attempt to assassinate Jewish official in Azerbaijan thwarted

Azerbaijani security officials have arrested the Georgian and Azerbaijani citizens involved with the foiled operation.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Security officials in Azerbaijan discovered a foiled attempt to assassinate a leader of the local Jewish community.

The official plays a crucial role in maintaining strong ties between Azerbaijan and Israel.

The Quds Force 400 of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp (IRGC), a key Iranian terror group, approached a Georgian and Azerbaijani citizen and offered them $200,000 to collect intelligence and assassinate the Jewish official.

Azerbaijani security officials have arrested the Georgian and Azerbaijani citizens involved with the foiled operation.

Iran has targeted Azerbaijan numerous times, given its friendly ties with Israel, including arms and fuel trade.

In 2013, the then commander of the IRGC’s Quds Force, Qassem Soleimani, who was later assassinated during the Trump administration, set up a  proxy organization  to spread Iranian ideology in Azerbaijan in an attempt to overthrow the government which Iran refers to as  a “Zionist proxy.”

In July 2023, an Afgani citizen was arrested for planning a terrorist attack on the Israeli embassy in Azerbaijan.

Pavzan Musa Khan, 23, was arrested on the street outside the embassy, which is located in one of the towers of the Hyatt hotel complex in the capital city.

In their statement regarding the arrest, authorities revealed that Khan had reached out to potential accomplices to plan the attack. He played a key role in procuring explosives and other weapons, while also conducting thorough surveillance of the targeted area.

Their investigation suggests that his objective was to kill innocent civilians and cause widespread destruction, aiming to destabilize the nation’s social order, instill fear among the public, and influence the decisions of both state authorities and international bodies.

The State Security Service also shared footage, captured from Khan’s mobile phone, showing various streets and buildings in Baku.

He explained that he understood the operation would require a car, a machine gun, and specific clothing, along with extensive surveillance. He emphasized the need for consultation to determine the timing of the attack, the number of participants, and the method of entry.

“Ninety-nine percent of this work is observation, and just one percent is action,” he added.