Iran planning assassination of U.S. ambassador in South Africa
Iranian plans to attack American targets following the assassination of Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani early this year keep coming to light.
According to intelligence reports,
Iran had planned to assassinate U.S. Ambassador in South Africa Lana J. Marks
who is a close associate of President Donald Trump.
Iranian involvement
The American newspaper Politico
quoted an unnamed American official as saying that the Iranian embassy in
Pretoria was involved in the assassination plan.
It said the assassination of this
U.S. diplomat would have come in response to Soleimani's assassination in
January this year.
Secret network
U.S. officials revealed that Iran
manages large clandestine networks in South Africa.
They said the U.S. has been aware
of threats to the life of its ambassador in South Africa since last spring.
Marks is also aware of the presence
of threats to her life in South Africa, the officials said.
They added that the assassination
of the U.S. ambassador in South Africa is one of the options Iraq considers in
retaliation for Soleimani's assassination.
Old friend
Marks, 66, has been her country's
ambassador in South Africa since October last year. She has been friends with
President Trump for years now.
The backers of the U.S. president
consider her a successful businesswoman. She is fond of owning expensive handbags.
The U.S. intelligence could not,
meanwhile, determine the reasons why Iran wants to target Marks.
However, the official speaking to
Politico attributed this to her old friendship with President Trump.
He said Iran wants to take revenge
on Trump personally for issuing orders for Soleimani's assassination.
Election propaganda
Speaking to supporters in Nevada,
Trump described Soleimani as the world's most dangerous terrorist.
Soleimani was an outstanding figure
on the regional and international stages. He was Iran's most powerful commander
in the region.
