The Islamic Revolutionary Guards colonel who was shot dead in Tehran on Sunday was behind a series of attacks on Israeli envoys in several countries including an attack on Israeli diplomats in India in 2012, according to a report in an Iranian opposition media outlet. Colonel Hassan Sayad Khodayari, according to the report, was responsible for a car bomb explosion in New Delhi, India.
Besides, he was involved in masterminding several assassination plots in other countries across the globe. Khodayari was killed by five gunshots as he returned home near Mojahedin-e-Islam Street on Sunday evening, killing him instantly, state news agency IRNA reported.
Masterminding Assassination Plots
According to a report in Iran International, an opposition media outlet, Khodayari "was the mastermind" behind a 2012 car bombing that targeted an Israeli diplomat in New Delhi. The Israeli diplomat's wife Tal Yehoshua-Koren, was seriously injured in the attack.
A sticky device was fixed to Yehoshua-Koren as she picked up her children from school as part of the operation. Her driver and two people were also injured in the attack.
A day later, he was also involved in a series of botched bombings in Bangkok, Thailand, aimed at killing Israeli diplomats visiting that country. The attack injured five people. However, both the attacks were unsuccessful. Three agents were arrested following the attack, with one of them even losing his legs in an explosion.
At the time, Thai police confirmed that Iran was behind the bombs in Bangkok.
According to the report, Khodayari was also in charge of planning and conducting strikes against Israeli nationals in Europe, Africa, and primarily Eastern Asia, according to European security sources.
In order to execute his plans, Khodayari was also given the responsibility of recruiting individuals in a number of countries and training them to assault to carry out the assaults on Israelis.
Unsuccessful Attacks
Although involved in multiple attacks on Israeli diplomats in Europe, Asia and Africa, most of Khodayari's plans were unsuccessful. In 2012, the same year he attacked Israeli diplomats in New Delhi and Bangkok, a device was discovered attached to a car parked near the Israeli embassy in the Georgian city of Tbilisi.
The bomb was defused after a Georgian embassy vehicle discovered it and alerted local authorities.
Khodayari's assassination is a big blow to the Iranian intelligence. Khodaei was shot five times by two assailants while sitting in his car on Sunday, according to the Iranian state-run Tasnim news agency.
Following his death, Tehran vowed to avenge his assassination. However, the Iranian government refrained from condemning Israel outright behind his assassination. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said Khodaei "was murdered by terrorist assassins," as quoted on Iranian television, and that the killing was under investigation. "We will have blood revenge," he said.
According to unsourced Hebrew media reports, intelligence shows that such a bold attack on Khodayari could only have been carried out by a foreign body.
Despite the fact that the crime occurred in one of Tehran's most secure neighborhoods, Mohahedin-e Eslam Street, which is home to numerous prominent IRGC and Quds Force personnel, Iranian authorities have failed to apprehend the perpetrators.
According to the outlet, Iran has focused its efforts on circulating bogus news reports about the inquiry in order to shift attention away from its failure to apprehend the criminals.
Israel has allegedly upgraded the security alert level at its embassies and consulates around the world, fearing a retaliation Iranian assault, although making no formal comments on the assassination. According to the unsourced Channel 13 claim, Israel is also on high alert for the prospect of a reaction from across the northern border, as well as fears of Jewish targets being attacked overseas.
