Israel on Monday warned citizens against visiting Turkey in light of Iranian threats to exact revenge for the assassination of an Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force colonel in Tehran last week.
The National Security Council’s Counter-Terrorism Bureau in a travel warning said that there is “increasing concern in the security establishment regarding Iranian efforts to attack Israeli targets around the world,” especially in Turkey. The statement read that Turkey “currently has a high level of risk for Israelis” and “the warning stems from a tangible threat to Israelis in Turkey.”
The warning noted that there is a “higher threat level” for Israelis in countries bordering Iran. “Therefore, Israeli citizens should be alert and take care to show all due caution regarding travel to any of these countries,” it added.
In a separate document, the Foreign Ministry issued a set of recommendations for citizens who are set to arrive in Turkey or cannot immediately leave the country. The Ministry urged citizens to avoid contact with strangers, refuse to share information about travel details with anyone, and ensure that they have the contact details of emergency services of the destination they are visiting.
"According to Israeli intelligence assessments, #Iran is attempting to carry out retaliatory action targeting Israeli officials, Jewish community members, tourists and sites that are associated with the Jewish community, such as synagogues, in #Turkey."https://t.co/2dBNqfIV5C
— Jason Brodsky (@JasonMBrodsky) May 30, 2022
The release also asked citizens to avoid the “externalisation of [their] Israeli identity” in public places.
Moreover, according to Israeli media, security officials have directly called and warned over 100 Israeli citizens in Turkey about the threat and asked them to return without delay.
Last week, Quds Force colonel Hassan Sayyad Khodaei was shot dead in Tehran by two gunmen on a motorcycle. While Iran initially suspected the hand of either the United States or Israel, it later blamed Israel for the murder and promised to retaliate.
Israel released a terrorism warning against traveling to Turkey and countries bordering on Iran. Turkey was the number-one tourist destination for Israelis last month. https://t.co/DiDZ2Nt5DL
— Lahav Harkov (@LahavHarkov) May 30, 2022
Khodaei was in charge of Unit 840, a covert Iranian squad tasked with adductions and assassinations of foreign citizens on foreign soil. He is believed to be the mastermind behind the 2012 bombing of an Israeli diplomat’s car in New Delhi, in which the diplomat’s wife was badly injured, and a failed operation against Israeli diplomats in Thailand.
IRGC Commander Gen. Hossein Salami said on Monday that “Zionists” were responsible for Khodaei’s assassination and vowed to take revenge against the “terrorists” that carried out this “criminal act.” Moreover, Iranian news outlet Fars News published the names and details of five Israelis “involved in sabotage against Islamic countries and the assassination of [Iranian] activists.” The agency reported that the individuals, including their family and colleagues, are “under close surveillance day and night.”
Moreover, according to a report by the New York Times, Israeli intelligence officials told their American counterparts that Israel was behind the assassination of Khodaei. However, Israel has rejected claims that it was behind the attack.
The killing of Khodaei and the Iranian threats to retaliate are the latest flare-ups in the decades-long shadow war between Iran and Israel. Both sides have confronted each other in air, sea, and land, with their conflict spanning across continents. While Israel’s modus operandi revolves around assassinating Iranian scientists and military officials, Iran has focused on arming militias in Israel’s neighbours.