GLOBAL - An alleged plot by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to assassinate the Israeli ambassador to Mexico, Einat Kranz-Neiger, was thwarted earlier this year, according to officials from the United States and Israel. The complex international incident underscores the escalating tensions between the two nations, with their conflict increasingly playing out on a global stage.

According to a US official who spoke on the condition of anonymity on Friday, November 7, 2025, the plot was initiated in late 2024 by the IRGC's elite Quds Force and remained active into the first half of 2025 before being disrupted. The official stated the plan was “contained and does not pose a current threat,” but did not provide specific details on how the operation was foiled.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry publicly thanked Mexican authorities for their role in stopping the attack. “We thank the security and law enforcement services in Mexico for thwarting a terrorist network directed by Iran that sought to attack Israel’s ambassador in Mexico,” a statement released on Friday read. The ministry further affirmed that its security and intelligence community would continue to work with global partners to counter threats from Iran and its proxies.

Contradictory statements have emerged from the involved governments. While US and Israeli officials pointed to a successful joint intelligence effort with Mexico, the Mexican government issued a joint statement from its foreign relations and security ministries late Friday stating they had “no report with respect to a supposed attempt against the ambassador of Israel in Mexico.” Ambassador Kranz-Neiger, however, told Mexican media that it was indeed “the Mexican security and intelligence authorities” who neutralized the threat.

Iran has vehemently denied the accusations. The Iranian Embassy in Mexico posted on X (formerly Twitter), calling the claim a “media invention, a great big lie, whose objective is to damage the friendly and historic relations between both countries (Mexico and Iran), which we categorically reject.”

Allegations of Venezuelan Connection

Intelligence documents cited by US officials suggest the plot was orchestrated partly from Iran's embassy in Venezuela. An IRGC officer named Hasan Izadi, also known as Masood Rahnema, is alleged to have initiated the plot while serving as an aide to Iran's ambassador in Venezuela. The Quds Force's 'Unit 11000' was reportedly responsible for advancing the plan. This unit has been previously linked by intelligence sources to thwarted attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets in Europe and Australia.

Global Context and Kenyan Relevance

This incident is part of a broader pattern of what a US official described as “a long history of Iran's global lethal targeting of diplomats, journalists, dissidents and anyone who disagrees with them.” In August 2025, for example, Australia expelled Iran's ambassador over alleged Iranian involvement in arson attacks on a synagogue and a kosher restaurant.

While this plot has no direct link to Kenya, it occurs within a context of complex diplomatic ties between Nairobi, Tehran, and Tel Aviv. Kenya and Iran have maintained diplomatic relations for 50 years, with recent efforts to boost trade. President Ebrahim Raisi's visit to Nairobi in July 2023 was framed as a strategic move to enhance economic ties.

Simultaneously, Kenya maintains a robust security and intelligence partnership with Israel, focused on counter-terrorism. This cooperation was formalized in agreements and has seen Israeli agencies assist Kenya in the past, notably after the 2013 Westgate Mall attack. In November 2022, the two countries agreed to reinvigorate bilateral defence cooperation in areas including counter-terrorism and cybersecurity. Historically, Iran has been accused of using East Africa for covert activities, including targeting Israeli interests. In 2012, two members of the IRGC were arrested in Kenya for planning attacks on Israeli and other Western targets and were subsequently sentenced to life in prison. These historical precedents and existing alliances mean Kenyan security services will likely monitor the fallout from the Mexico plot with significant interest.