The New York Times reported that Israel had informed the United States that it was behind the assassination of Iranian Revolutionary Guards Colonel Hassan Sayad Khodaei.
The newspaper quoted an unnamed intelligence official as saying that the Israelis had told the Americans that the assassination was a warning to Iran to stop the operation of a secret unit in the Quds Force called the 840 unit.
According to the American newspaper, the secret unit of the Quds Force – in charge of foreign operations of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps – is responsible for abducting and assassinating foreigners around the world, including Israeli civilians and officials, according to the Israeli government and army. Intelligence authorities
Israeli officials said Colonel Sayad Khodaei was the deputy commander of Unit 840 and was involved in plotting overseas against foreigners, including Israelis.
They stated that he was “responsible for the unit’s operations in the Middle East and in neighboring Iran and has been involved in terrorist attacks against Israelis, Europeans, American civilians and government officials in Colombia, Kenya and Ethiopia for the past two years.” Arabic and Cyprus. “
In contrast, Iran has never acknowledged the existence of Unit 840.
Iran described the colonel as a “hero and martyr” who joined the Revolutionary Guards as a teenager and volunteered as a soldier in the Iran-Iraq war, and has continued to play a leading role in the Quds Force in the fight against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. .
According to Iranian state media, last Sunday, 50-year-old Col. Sayad Khodaei was shot dead outside his home on a quiet residential street in the Iranian capital, Tehran, when two gunmen on a motorcycle approached his car and shot him. became.
According to the New York Times, Iran blamed Israel for the operation, which is a continuation of the shadow war that has been going on for years between the two countries on land, sea, air and cyberspace.
“We regret the enemy and none of the enemy’s evils will go unanswered,” said Maj. Gen. Hussein Salami, commander-in-chief of the Revolutionary Guards, which governments classify as terrorist organizations. .
“The assassination was definitely Israel’s job,” said Majid Mohammadi, a member of Iran’s National Security Council.
In contrast, a spokesman for the Israeli prime minister declined to comment on the killing.
The United States has listed the Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organization – a decision that has been a stalemate in negotiations with Iran to revive the 2015 nuclear deal.
Iran demanded the abolition of the nomination as a condition for returning the so-called Comprehensive Joint Action Plan agreement, but the United States refused and suspended negotiations.
Iranian analysts believe that Israel’s accusations are aimed at preventing the United States from agreeing to declare the Revolutionary Guards a terrorist organization and thus obstructing the agreement to return the nuclear deal.
“We are also in a war of misinformation with Israel,” said Qais Qureshi, an analyst close to the Iranian government.
The aim of these provocative actions is “to pressure all parties to cancel the nuclear deal or force Iran to react in a way that is harmful.”
Khodaei was a logistics expert who played a key role in transmitting drone and missile technology to Iranian-backed Syrian and Hezbollah fighters, according to two Revolutionary Guards associates who spoke anonymously to the New York Times.
The two claimed that he was also a tactical adviser to groups fighting in Syria and being trained and armed by Iran.
Source: Lebanon Debate
