Senior Israeli officials face possible Iranian assassination attempts

The warnings were issued in recent days amid assessments that Tehran continues to seek retaliation against Israeli leadership.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Current and former Israeli ministers and senior officials have been warned by Israel’s security establishment that Iran may attempt to target them as it seeks revenge for Israel’s killing of senior Iranian leaders, prompting the Shin Bet, Israel’s Security Agency, to increase protective measures and advise officials to alter their daily routines.

The warnings were issued in recent days amid assessments that Tehran continues to seek retaliation against Israeli leadership.

Security officials delivered general alerts to senior figures, cautioning that they could become targets as part of Iran’s broader effort to avenge the elimination of its top command.

In response, the Shin Bet strengthened security arrangements for a number of Israeli public figures and instructed those receiving protection to vary their routines and adopt additional precautionary measures.

The heightened security concerns also prompted an unusual change to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s travel arrangements.

Instead of departing from Ben Gurion Airport for Washington aboard the government aircraft Wing of Zion, Netanyahu’s flight took off from Nevatim Air Base.

Israeli authorities also kept the departure time and flight route confidential.

The precautions come as the United States has also taken additional security measures in response to Iranian threats.

On July 9, The New York Times reported that the U.S. Secret Service recommended President Donald Trump use the older Air Force One aircraft rather than the newly refurbished plane donated by Qatar during travel from Turkey, citing security concerns linked to renewed fighting with Iran.

The newspaper cited officials familiar with the planning of the trip.

The Wall Street Journal later reported that the aircraft change followed Israeli intelligence warning U.S. officials of a possible plot to assassinate Trump.

Several American officials told the newspaper they did not consider the threat fully credible and expressed concern that Israel may have shared the intelligence in an effort to influence U.S. decision-making and encourage a return to full-scale war with Iran.

On July 25, The Times reported that Trump’s unexpected aircraft switch during his return flight from the NATO summit in Turkey earlier this month followed a “credible threat” from “Iranian proxy forces.”

CBS later reported that U.S. authorities identified a genuine plot to fire a missile at the presidential aircraft.