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Iran’s Alleged Plot to Assassinate Israeli Ambassador in Mexico: Washington and Tel Aviv Speak Out

  • 2026年1月26日
  • Estimated read time 11 min read
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Intriguingly, there are no formal reports from the Mexican government regarding any alleged attack.

A diplomatic rift has emerged involving Washington, Tel Aviv, Tehran, and Mexico City over accusations that Iran planned to assassinate Israel’s ambassador to Mexico, Einat Kranz-Neiger. As the claims remain unverified and originate from unnamed sources of two administrations (Trump’s and Netanyahu’s) known for their dubious credibility, the narrative becomes increasingly speculative.

Conflicting Accounts

On November 7, a U.S. official, speaking anonymously, alleged that the Quds Force, the external operations arm of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), had plotted to kill Einat Kranz-Neiger, Israel’s ambassador to Mexico. The official claimed that Mexican intelligence had thwarted the plan before summer.

In a televised statement, Neiger confirmed that her life was in jeopardy but did not provide additional details. Israel’s Foreign Ministry subsequently issued a statement expressing gratitude to Mexican security forces for dismantling “a terrorist network orchestrated by Iran.”

“The Israeli intelligence and security agencies will relentlessly collaborate with partners globally to counteract threats from Iran and their proxies against Israeli and Jewish entities,” stated Oren Marmorstein, spokesperson for Israel’s Foreign Ministry.

However, the Mexican government asserts there are “no official reports” regarding the purported attack on Israel’s ambassador. Not a single scrap of evidence or acknowledgment.

In a statement, Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) and the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection declared that they had received “no information regarding a supposed attempt on the ambassador of Israel in Mexico.” The statement emphasized that Mexico has maintained diplomatic relations with all nations.

This implies a troubling discrepancy: either Mexico’s intelligence agencies failed to inform the government, which is improbable, or the alleged plot never existed, suggesting this episode is yet another instance of deception from the U.S. and Israeli narrative.

It is challenging not to favor the latter explanation. Consider the Trump administration’s ongoing operations that lead to extrajudicial killings of suspected narco-terrorists in the Caribbean and Pacific without any substantiated evidence of their wrongdoing. Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia, Michel McFaul, openly admitted that American diplomats frequently engage in deception.

Similarly, Lawrence Wilkerson, former chief of staff to ex-U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, candidly remarked on his distrust of Israeli officials:

Pot, Meet Kettle

The unnamed U.S. official further claimed that the alleged foiled plot underscores Iran’s extensive overseas network capable of conducting operations against U.S. and Israeli targets:

“This serves as another instance in a history imbued with assassination attempts by Iran on diplomats, journalists, dissidents, and anyone who opposes its agenda—an issue that should alarm any nation with an Iranian presence.”

What the media coverage often overlooks is that Israel, the entity making these allegations against Iran, has conducted more targeted assassinations abroad than any other country, possibly even exceeding U.S. actions, particularly throughout its violent campaign in Gaza over the past two years. This campaign purportedly includes the targeted elimination of 30 Iranian commanders and 11 nuclear scientists during its recent military engagements with Iran.

According to Le Monde, “targeted killings have been an integral part of Israeli strategy, reaching back before the establishment of Israel in 1948.”

An article on Axios detailed that the assassination plan for Neiger was orchestrated by Unit 11000, a clandestine Quds Force unit that reportedly “attempted to orchestrate attacks against Jewish and Israeli targets in Australia and Europe,” according to sources familiar with the matter. The report indicates that the plan originated from Iran’s diplomatic mission in Venezuela, tying together two nations currently featured on U.S. and, in Iran’s case, Israel’s agendas.

“A Media Fabrication”

Tehran has “categorically denied” the allegations, branding them as “a media fabrication” designed to harm “the amicable relations” between Tehran and Mexico City.

The Iranian embassy clarified, “The claim of an alleged attempt by Iran to kill the ambassador of the Israeli regime in Mexico is a fabrication, a blatant falsehood aimed at undermining the longstanding friendship between our nations (Mexico and Iran), which we firmly refute.”

The embassy further asserted, “Iran and Mexico have shared interests. Mexico’s safety and reputation are intertwined with those of Iran.” They emphasized that the Islamic Republic would never betray “the trust that the Mexican government has placed” in Tehran.

Tehran argues it would not jeopardize the positive image of Mexicans in the global arena, stating, “To harm Mexico’s interests is to harm one’s own.”

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, pointed out that Israel has leveled similar accusations in the past, referencing previous attacks on Jewish synagogues in Australia. As reported by Al Jazeera:

The allegations seemed to refer to testimony provided by the New South Wales Police Force to the Australian parliament, indicating findings linked to suspected Iranian involvement in several incidents targeting synagogues.

“The NSW Police Force has no evidence regarding foreign agents in connection with these incidents,” a police representative informed lawmakers.

“Even with official Australian police reports dismissing any Iranian links, Israel has stubbornly maintained Tehran’s involvement,” Baghaei noted.

In August, Australia implicated Iran in orchestrating two “anti-Semitic” arson incidents in Sydney and Melbourne, leading to an expulsion of Tehran’s ambassador—an unusually drastic move since World War II.

Additionally, Australia designated the IRGC as a “terrorist organization” and withdrew its diplomatic staff from Tehran.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese claimed credible evidence existed regarding Iran orchestrating last year’s attacks on a kosher restaurant, yet did not present any supporting proof.

Mission Accomplished?

The rapid decline of attention surrounding the alleged plot against Israel’s ambassador to Mexico could suggest that this presumed disinformation campaign fell flat or that the goal of driving a wedge between Mexico and Iran has already been accomplished.

The ongoing denial from the Mexican government regarding any alleged plot only further undermines Washington and Tel Aviv’s credibility. Had Mexico’s administration been more aligned with U.S.-Israeli foreign objectives—like Argentina’s or Ecuador’s—this inconsistency might have been avoided.

While Mexico’s Sheinbaum government has not severed ties with Tel Aviv amidst its actions in Gaza, it did recently recognize Israel’s actions as genocide and called for its termination. Mexico also acknowledged Palestinian statehood and maintained a constitutional stance of non-intervention in both the Israel-Iran conflict and the U.S.-NATO proxy war in Ukraine.

Latin America has been a stronghold for opposition against Israel’s actions in Gaza, with countries like Colombia, Honduras, Bolivia, and Nicaragua severing diplomatic relations with Tel Aviv. Regimes in Venezuela and Cuba had already cut ties long before the current conflict. Colombia’s Gustavo Petro government has even imposed genuine economic sanctions on Israel.

It is perhaps reasonable to suggest that one of the motives behind U.S. regime change efforts in nations like Venezuela, Colombia, Cuba, and Mexico is to replace existing governments with ones more favorable to Tel Aviv—like the newly installed right-wing Rodrigo Paz government in Bolivia, which is now looking to mend ties with Washington and Tel Aviv.

At the same time, the presence of Iran and its proxies, such as Hezbollah, in Latin America is receiving increased scrutiny from Washington, Tel Aviv, and their allies. As we noted last September, the U.S. appears intent on merging two “failed” wars—against drugs and terror—across Latin America.

From Machado to Milei…

At a recent event in Miami hosted by the America Business Forum, María Corina Machado, Venezuela’s opposition leader, claimed Iran has transformed Venezuela into its “satellite”—one of many outrageous assertions she has made in recent weeks:

While Venezuela and Iran have strengthened their ties with a 20-year strategic agreement signed in June 2022 covering cooperation in various sectors, the relationship appears symmetrical and mutually beneficial. Ironically, one major factor bringing them together has been the stringent U.S. sanctions both nations face.

Hezbollah does maintain some presence in Mexico and the broader Latin American region, forging connections with certain insurgent groups like Colombia’s FARC and drug trafficking organizations, notably in the Triple Frontier area between Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay. Brazilian authorities have conducted two operations targeting alleged Hezbollah affiliates in the area, one in 2023 and another in 2024.

Meanwhile, Machado, having recently been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, promised her wholehearted support for President Trump’s military initiatives in the Caribbean, including his summary executions of Venezuelan nationals. She has expressed her willingness to open all of Venezuela’s resources, from oil and gas to its extensive Caribbean coastline, to Western investment, contingent on her rise to power.

“Maduro started this war, and President Trump is concluding it,” she asserted, endorsing the U.S. approach of conducting extrajudicial killings at sea as “absolutely correct.”

The more Machado speaks publicly, the more outlandish her claims become. In a Bloomberg interview, she accused Venezuela’s Maduro government of rigging elections throughout the region, including the U.S. presidential elections of 2020, which Trump lost. She has maintained that Hamas is “hiding” in Venezuela.

In recent weeks, U.S. media has begun to challenge Machado’s regime change activities more vocally. A Time article last week cautioned that any actions the U.S. undertakes in Venezuela (and beyond) “should be based on factual analysis, not the tall tales from exiled and displaced leaders, which have historically led to disastrous miscalculations”—a nod to previous U.S. interventions in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya.

Few countries are as staunchly pro-Israel as Milei’s Argentina. In Spring 2024, his administration hosted then-CIA Director William J. Burns, senior Mossad officials, and members of Germany’s BND. Outcomes from these meetings included an agreement that Argentina would conduct intelligence operations concerning “terrorism threats,” primarily from Hezbollah and drug trafficking within the Triple Frontier region.

As we cautioned in April 2024, Milei appears set on embroiling Argentina in conflicts, whether in Ukraine or the Middle East. By doing so, he not only increases the risks of retaliatory attacks but also strays from Argentina’s historical diplomatic stance of moderation and neutrality, reminiscent of former President Carlos Menem’s brief involvement in the first Gulf War.

Notably, shortly after this engagement, Israel’s embassy faced an attack, followed two years later by a bombing of the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina, a Jewish Community Center, in Buenos Aires. The bombing, which occurred when a van packed with explosives detonated outside the AMIA building, resulted in 85 fatalities and over 300 injuries—remaining the deadliest terrorist act in Argentine history and still surrounded by mysteries.

Despite the passing of 31 years, no one has been successfully prosecuted for these attacks. Former INTERPOL Director-General Ronald K. Noble stated he would testify that, during Cristina Kirchner’s presidency, INTERPOL was never requested to rescind arrest warrants against Iranian suspects.

With Milei now in power, every effort is being made to advance the case against Iran and Hezbollah. Last year, the government proposed legislation to enable trials in absentia, previously barred by Argentine law. Milei has also shifted his rhetoric, reframing the AMIA attack as “an Iranian terrorist attack.”

In the U.S., Iran and Hezbollah’s affiliations with Venezuela are likely to become a crucial element of the government’s regime change narrative. In early September, Fox News cited U.S. officials asserting that Hezbollah’s drug trafficking network in Venezuela has evolved into a direct threat to U.S. internal security. Meanwhile, in Washington…

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