November 8, 2025 | 05:40 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The United States and Israel have accused Iran of plotting to assassinate Israel’s Ambassador to Mexico, Einat Kranz Neiger, a plan they claim was thwarted by Mexican authorities earlier this year.
According to a U.S. official cited by Al Arabiya on Friday, the plot was orchestrated by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and began taking shape late last year.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the plan remained active through the first half of 2025 before being foiled.
“The plot was contained and does not pose a current threat,” the official added.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry thanked Mexican law enforcement agencies for their intervention, saying they had dismantled “a terrorist network directed by Iran seeking to attack the Israeli ambassador in Mexico.”
"We thank the security and law enforcement services in Mexico for thwarting a terrorist network directed by Iran that sought to attack Israel's ambassador in Mexico," the foreign ministry said in a statement.
Iran, however, rejected the allegation as “a big lie.” The objective "is to damage the friendly and historic relations between both countries (Mexico and Iran), which we categorically reject", the embassy in Mexico posted on X.
Mexico’s Foreign Ministry said it had “not received any information” regarding the alleged plot. The country’s Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection, which oversees intelligence operations, said it was open to “respectful and coordinated cooperation, always within the framework of national sovereignty, with all security agencies that request it“.
Broader Context
The alleged assassination plot comes amid escalating hostilities between Iran and Israel, following a series of attacks exchanged earlier this year.
The tension traces back to an Israeli airstrike on April 1, 2024, that targeted Iran’s consulate in Damascus and killed several senior IRGC officers. Tehran vowed revenge, launching missile and drone strikes on Israel, which responded with extensive bombing campaigns across Iran.
Washington and Tel Aviv have long accused Tehran of orchestrating attacks through the IRGC’s Quds Force, which they claim has targeted diplomats, journalists, and opposition figures globally.
“This is just the latest in a long history of Iran's global lethal targeting of diplomats, journalists, dissidents and anyone who disagrees with them, something that should deeply worry every country where there is an Iranian presence,” said a U.S. government representative quoted by Axios.
The report by Axios also alleged that an IRGC Unit 11000 agent, based at Iran’s Embassy in Venezuela, helped recruit operatives across Latin America before returning to Tehran.
Latin America has previously been a site of attacks linked to Middle Eastern conflicts, including the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish Center in Buenos Aires, which killed 85 people and was believed to have been carried out by Hezbollah with Iranian support.
Mexico’s Balancing Act
Mexico, known for its traditionally non-interventionist foreign policy, has taken a cautious stance on the Gaza conflict compared with other Latin American nations. While the government has supported investigations into alleged Israeli war crimes, it has maintained long-standing diplomatic ties with Israel.
The latest allegations risk testing that delicate balance, drawing Mexico into the broader geopolitical rift between Iran, Israel, and the United States.
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