This is an unprecedented announcement since the murder in November 2020 of nuclear physicist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, attributed by Tehran to Israel. The Revolutionary Guards, Iran’s ideological army, claimed on Sunday that one of their officers, Colonel Sayad Khodai, had been “murdered” in front of his home in the east of the Iranian capital, by two armed men on motorbikes, reports the Middle East Eye.
According to the correspondent ofAl-Jazeera Ali Hashem, the soldier was a member of the Al-Quds Force, responsible for the foreign operations of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards. He had notably served in Syria in recent years. In their press release, the Guardians denounced a “terrorist act” committed by “elements related to global arrogance”an expression that typically refers to the United States and Israel, underlines Ha’Aretz.
However, according to the Israeli daily, it is “likely that Khodai was behind a series of orchestrated plots against Israeli businessmen and diplomats in various countries over the past few months”, some of which were foiled by the Mossad. According to Times of Israëlthe slain colonel had planned kidnappings as well as other attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets around the world.
“If Israel is indeed behind the assassination, it marks an intensification of tensions” with Tehran
According to an Iranian security source, Colonel Khodai also played an important role in the Iranian military industry, especially in the drone sector, adds the Israeli site. Gold, “there have been numerous Iranian threats against Israel in recent years involving drones”underlines for his part the Jerusalem Post. “Defense Minister Benny Gantz warned of Iranian drone bases last November. […] In particular, two Iranian drones were intercepted over Iraq by the US-led coalition. These drones were heading towards Israel”recalls the conservative daily.
If the Jewish state “is well behind Sunday’s assassination, it marks an escalation of tensions between the two countries”valued Ha’Aretz. “The killing of a military figure who orchestrated plots to attack Israelis is a step forward for an actor who is no longer prepared to turn a blind eye to Iranian hostilities.”
For the Jerusalem Post, “this assassination […] is the latest humiliation for the Iranian regime. […] It shows that Iran is more vulnerable than in the past […] and his threats ring hollow. The regime has so far shown that it has few ways to respond directly [à des attaques sur son sol] ”.