World
Israel thwarted 50 Iranian ‘terror’ attacks on Jews globally in recent years: Gallant
Israel and its international partners have thwarted more than 50 Iranian attacks on Israelis and Jews, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Thursday.
“By order of the Supreme Leader [Ali Khamenei], in recent years, Iran has led an unprecedented global campaign of terror, focused on Israelis and other Jews across the globe,” the Jerusalem Post cited Gallant as saying.
He added: “There have been over 50 attempts in recent years, the majority of which already got to the point of being ready to be carried out, but were thwarted at the last minute.”
He said the attacks were foiled thanks to “[Israel’s] defense establishment and by virtue of close cooperation with many foreign countries and by virtue of the understanding that Iran constitutes a threat to the world.”
Israel and Iran have been engaged in a protracted and covert shadow war resembling a Cold War dynamic, characterized by mutual accusations of sabotage and assassination plots. Both countries have relentlessly pursued their national security interests through clandestine operations, intelligence warfare, and proxy conflicts.
Israel, viewing Iran as a significant regional threat, particularly due to its nuclear ambitions and support for militant groups like Hezbollah, has been involved in covert activities aimed at thwarting Iran's nuclear program and undermining its regional influence. These actions range from cyberattacks on Iranian nuclear facilities, such as the Stuxnet virus in 2010, to targeted assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists. Israel perceives Iran's nuclear capabilities as a direct existential threat and has adopted a policy of preventive measures to curtail its progress.
On the other hand, Iran has consistently accused Israel of conducting covert operations inside its territory to sabotage its nuclear program and eliminate key figures involved in its nuclear activities. Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, have openly accused Israel of carrying out attacks such as the assassinations of Iranian scientists.
Iran's support for militant groups in the region, particularly Hezbollah in Lebanon, has also drawn Israel's ire, leading to covert Israeli efforts to disrupt Iranian-backed activities and weapons transfers to these groups. The shadow war between Israel and Iran has often unfolded through a combination of cyber warfare, covert operations, and proxy conflicts, contributing to a persistent state of tension and hostility between the two nations.
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