FDD | Nov 8, 2025
Latest Developments
- Murder of Ambassador Prevented: Mexico, with assistance from U.S. and Israeli intelligence, foiled an alleged Iranian plot to assassinate Jerusalem’s ambassador to Mexico, according to Israeli and U.S. officials who broke the news on November 7. The threat against Israeli Ambassador Einat Kranz Neiger, which remained active from late 2024 through mid-2025, was deemed “contained,” with details around the operation not disclosed due to their sensitive nature. Iran’s mission to the United Nations said that it did not wish to comment on the matter.
- Details of the Plan: U.S. officials said that an officer with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps named Hasan Izadi, also known as Masood Rahnema, hatched the plot to kill Neiger while serving as an aide to Iran’s ambassador to Venezuela. Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Oren Marmorstein thanked Mexico’s security apparatus for halting the plot, stating, “The Israeli intelligence and security community will continue to work tirelessly, in full cooperation with security and intelligence agencies around the world, to thwart terror threats from Iran and its proxies against Israeli and Jewish targets worldwide.”
- Iran’s Recent Assassination Attempts Abroad: The United Kingdom has foiled over 20 Iran-linked plots to kill or abduct individuals in the country since 2022, including British nationals. Iran was also reportedly behind a string of attempted assassinations and abductions in Europe and the United States. In early July, Germany arrested a man suspected of carrying out surveillance operations on “Jewish locations and people in Berlin” on behalf of Iranian intelligence. Australia revealed in August that Tehran had been involved in an increased number of antisemitic attacks in its country since Hamas’s 2023 brutal attack on Israel, and Britain’s MI5 intelligence service director Ken McCallum said in October that Iran was “frantically” trying to silence dissidents worldwide.
FDD Expert Response
“This foiled plot on America’s doorstep was not only aimed at Israel, it was also a warning to Washington. Tehran’s terror network is extending its reach across the West, devoting growing attention to the Americas. Its operatives continue to target Americans, Jews, and Israelis wherever they can be found. No agreement or diplomatic gesture has curbed the Islamic Republic’s long-standing practice of exporting terrorism abroad.” — Janatan Sayeh, Research Analyst
“This plot is a timely reminder that the Islamic Republic has extensive networks and intelligence operations in America’s own backyard. In Venezuela, the Maduro regime provides a haven for the IRGC and Hezbollah that threatens the United States and its partners by extending the reach of Tehran’s intelligence and repression apparatus. This threatens the entire Hemisphere and underscores the importance of U.S. security cooperation with partners like Mexico.” — Connor Pfeiffer, Senior Director of Government Relations at FDD Action
FDD Background and Analysis
“‘Your Aggression Will Not Be Tolerated’: Australia Expels Iranian Ambassador Over Attacks on Jewish Community Targets,” FDD Flash Brief
“‘Violations of Sovereignty’: Western Nations Issue Joint Statement Condemning Iranian Intelligence Threats,” FDD Flash Brief
“U.S. Sanctions Iranian Intelligence Officials for Role in Abducting Former FBI Agent,” by Janatan Sayeh and Behnam Ben Taleblu
“Iran’s ties to Western organized crime networks,” by Janatan Sayeh
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