Israeli businessman Itsik Moshe was the target of the thwarted Iranian attack in Georgia, Israeli security sources said on Tuesday.
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This was not the first time that Iranian forces have tried to attack Moshe, according to an unnamed Israeli security official. The 62-year-old businessman worked as a top Jewish Agency official in Russia and founded Israeli House, which seeks to improve Israel's image in eastern Europe.
Led by Iran, a Pakistani team affiliated with Al Qaeda traveled to Georgia's capital city of Tbilisi to gather intelligence and prepare for the attack, but were arrested by Georgian security forces.
Authorities said the suspects gathered "extensive intelligence on the target for assassination and reached a high level of readiness for execution."
The uncovered cell has been operating since 2011 and led by an Iranian citizen identified as Mohammad Reza Ebadi Arablu, a veteran of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards.
Another Quds Force commander, Ali Feyzipour, who has been implicated in other Iranian terrorist plots around the world, was heading the operation.
One of the terrorists was arrested last week, during which a military weapon and other incriminating findings were confiscated. In addition, two operatives with dual Georgian-Iranian citizenship, who were working with an arms dealer in Turkey, were detained.
All the teams involved in the preparation for the attack were recruited, trained, and financed by the Iranians, according to Israel's security apparatus. An investigation is underway to identify other people involved in the preparation of the attack outside of Georgia.
"This is not the first time that an attempt to carry out a terrorist attack on Georgian soil with Iranian orders has come to light," the unnamed Israeli security official said.
This latest attempt followed other recent Iranian plots to harm Israelis in the region. In June, Turkey and Israel foiled a plan to attack Israelis in Istanbul, and in October last year, there was an attempted assassination of Israeli businessmen in Cyprus.
The Israeli official claimed that some European states are considering declaring the IRGC a terrorist group.
"Iran will pay a heavy price on the international scene because of this," he said.
This article was first published by i24NEWS.
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