Authorities in Mexico have reportedly foiled a plan to assassinate Israel’s ambassador to the country, according to statements from Israeli and U.S. officials. The alleged conspiracy is said to have been directed by Iran.
In a recent announcement, Israel’s foreign ministry expressed gratitude to Mexican security services for disrupting what it described as a terrorist network orchestrated by Tehran. The target was identified as Ambassador Einat Kranz-Neiger.
A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, indicated that the planning was initiated in late 2024 by Iran’s Quds Force, an elite unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The plot was reportedly disrupted earlier this year and no longer poses an active threat. The official further alleged that operatives were recruited through Iran’s embassy in Venezuela, a nation with close ties to Tehran.
Iran’s mission to the United Nations has not commented on the allegations. Mexican authorities have also not issued an immediate public statement.
The reported plot follows a period of heightened tensions between Israel and Iran. In April 2024, an Israeli airstrike destroyed part of Iran’s embassy complex in Damascus, Syria, killing several senior Iranian military officials. Iran responded with a direct missile and drone barrage against Israel. A year later, Israel conducted a major bombing campaign inside Iran.
The broader conflict has drawn in multiple regional actors. Iran is a principal backer of Hamas, the Palestinian group that governs Gaza, as well as other militant factions across the Middle East. Israel’s subsequent military campaign in Gaza has sparked a wider regional confrontation.
This incident underscores a pattern of alleged Iranian operations targeting Israeli interests abroad. Similar accusations have been made by other nations, including Australia, which recently expelled an Iranian diplomat over alleged links to attacks on Jewish sites.
Latin America has witnessed spillover violence from Middle Eastern conflicts before, most notably in the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, which was blamed on Hezbollah acting on Iranian instructions.
Mexico, home to a significant Jewish community, has maintained diplomatic relations with Israel since its founding. While it has supported international investigations into the conduct of the war in Gaza, its stance has been more measured than that of some other left-leaning governments in the region.
The latest allegations highlight ongoing security concerns for Israeli diplomatic personnel worldwide and the extending shadow of the Iran-Israel rivalry across international borders.