Loading ...Iran’s Guards detain Russian journalist as Israel spy. IDF on high alert for surprise Iran attack
Word of Yuzik’s arrest in Tehran came 24 hours after Iranian intelligence claimed to have exposed an “Israeli-Arab” assassination plot against IRGC General Qassem Soleimani and to have arrested three unidentified suspects.
Tehran’s launch of a concentrated intelligence campaign to defame Israel shortly before Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar, finds most Israel’s policy makers away from their desks. It may therefore be intended to manufacture pretexts for Iran to go forward with a planned surprise attack on strategic targets in Israel. This is part of the IRGC ‘s overall plan which was launched with a missile and drone assault on Saudi oil facilities on Sept. 14. Israel’s armed forces are therefore on high alert even while the country celebrates the annual festival.
Iran may have two additional motives in its anti-Israel espionage-assassination spin campaign: A raging row between the IRGC heads and President Hassan Rouhani’s faction over whether Rouhani should go ahead and meet US President Donald Trump. Diplomatic efforts to arrange the rendezvous are still ongoing while the Guards push back by stirring up an additional front. Another possible motive may be an effort by the regime in Tehran to break up the collaborative ties between Russian and Israel intelligence. But for now, Tehran’s ties with Moscow are on the line over this incident.