The Mossad said Sunday that Iran has escalated attempts to harm Israelis across the world since October 7, pointing to the arrest of two Iranians linked to a plot to commit a terror attack in Cyprus as evidence of the heightened threat.
The Jerusalem Post reports the Iranians have been detained with the help of the Mossad for questioning over suspected planning of attacks on Israeli citizens living on the island.
The two individuals were believed to be in the early stages of gathering intelligence on potential Israeli targets, the Kathimerini Cyprus newspaper said without citing sources.
The paper added that the Iranians were political refugees in contact with a person linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
The Israel Prime Minister’s Office says — on behalf of the Mossad and the National Security Agency — that the cell’s arrest was enabled by intelligence information about the terrorists, their methods of operation and the intended targets, according to the Times of Israel.
A senior Cyprus official declined to comment, citing policy on issues concerning national security.
Cyprus, an island country located in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, has long been a popular holiday and investment choice for Israelis.
The Post report highlights Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in June said an Iranian attack against Israeli targets in Cyprus had been thwarted.
Tehran denied being behind any plots to attack Israelis in European Union member Cyprus.
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