Peru: Iran National Arrested Over Alleged Plot to Attack Israel Citizen
The conflict in the Middle East may have already spilled into the Americas as authorities in Peru have arrested a man from Iran over a plot to attack a citizen of Israel in the South American country.
According to the Associated Press, the arrested Iranian citizen is reportedly a member of Iran's Quds Force, which specializes in intelligence gathering and unconventional warfare. The AP did note that they could not identify if the arrested Iranian were indeed a Quds Force operative. Iranian authorities did not comment on the arrest, nor was it acknowledged by Iranian state media.
The chief of police in Peru, Gen. Oscar Arriola, identified the arrested Iranian as Majid Azizi, 56. Also arrested are two Peruvian citizens who were helping the accused Quds Force agent in his mission. He added that Peru authorities thwarted the attack against the Israeli national, but he did not reveal who their intended target was for security reasons.
Arriola confirmed that there is a third Peruvian citizen involved in the plot, and the police are now looking for him. They believe that this third Peru citizen was in charge of the plot to kill the Israeli citizen.
The Peru police chief then noted that Azizi entered Lima on March 3. However, when he arrived, Peruvian authorities had already been alerted about him by foreign intelligence offices. They arrested him and his two Peruvian accomplices after withdrawing money from an ATM. Azizi and the two other suspects will remain in prison for an initial 15 days under terrorism charges.
Iran Known for Conducting Operations in South America Against Israel-Linked Targets
Despite its distance from South America, Iran actually has quite a presence in the region, especially as Iran's ally, Venezuela, is one of the most influential countries on the continent. The two have maintained close ties to one another amid US sanctions against both of them.
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Through the Quds Force, Oran has run various operations across South America. Various activities that the Iranians have conducted include the incident where an impounded Boeing 747 linked to the Iranian intelligence organization was impounded in Argentina before being seized by the US.
The most notorious incidents of Iran's operations in South America include the 1884 bombing of a Jewish center that killed 85 people in Argentina. Since the incident, Iran and Argentina have had strained relations.
Peru Rules Out Suspect From Iran Intended To Attack APEC Forum
When the Iranian operatives were arrested in Peru, several theories arose as to what they were planning. One of them was planning an attack during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.
However, according to Reuters, a spokesperson for Peru's Interior Ministry has ruled out a link between the suspected Iranian operative and the APEC forum. This was also confirmed by APEC's Peru office, which noted that the plot was instead directed to a foreign businessman, which would likely be the Israeli citizen they were targeting.
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Rick Martin
WATCH: Peru arrests Iranian accused of planning attack on Israeli citizen • FRANCE 24 English