Police Investigating Whether Spanish Populist Shot in Face Was Iran-Ordered Execution

Spanish police say the attack on a veteran politician had the hallmarks of a professional hit job and are considering whether it may have been ordered by the Iranian regime against a prominent European critic.

Alejo Vidal-Quadras, a retired Spanish right-wing populist politician who was shot in the face at point-blank range as he left church on Thursday is in intensive care in a Madrid hospital but is conscious and able to speak to police officers. Investigators are now considering whether the attack, which may have been meant to be fatal, could have been motivated by a personal grievance or whether it was politically motivated.

Vidal-Quadras, who once led the Catalan branch of Spain’s main conservative Party and was a co-founder of the right-wing-populist Vox party is involved with the Iranian opposition-in-exile and it is thought possible his support of those who work against the regime in Tehran may have led to the attack. Spanish newspaper El Pais reports Vidal-Quadras himself has spoken to police officers despite the serious injury to his face about the potential Iranian connection and that is being investigated.

Despite 24 hours having now passed since the attempted assassination, which according to an assessment by ABC was only not fatal because Vidal-Quadras turned his face away from the shooter at the last moment, no arrests have yet been made. The gunman who approached Vidal-Quadras as he walked back from mass to his home in an upmarket Madrid neighbourhood was wearing a motorcycle helmet and fired once before fleeing to a waiting accomplice on a motorcycle.

It is believed the burnt-out remains of the Yamaha bike have been found. A police source speaking to ABC said of the professional nature of the attempted killing that it had the hallmarks of a killing “to order” and that it may have been “to settle some type of personal debt, or… in retaliation for Vidal-Quadras’ support for the dissidents of the Iranian regime”.

Vidal-Quadras has previously been denounced as being a “terrorist” by Tehran. While Iran has not referred directly to the attempted slaying, just hours after the shooting its embassy in Spain published a statement in which it claimed Iran was the greatest and longest-suffering victim of terrorism, and that one of the priorities of the state is “bringing the perpetrators of terrorist acts to justice”.

This story is developing and more follows.