All articles tagged with #assassination plots
Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate, views Russian assassination plots against him as a sign that Ukrainian special services are effectively doing their job. He noted that multiple attempts have been made on his life, but none have succeeded. This follows Ukraine's SBU foiling FSB plans to kill President Zelensky and other top officials.
The U.S. Department of Justice has recently revealed a series of foiled assassination plots on American soil, involving foreign operatives from countries such as Iran and India. These cases raise concerns about the increasing threat of state-sponsored assassinations in the United States, with experts pointing to eroding norms and new technologies as contributing factors. The recent prosecutions have sparked discussions about the changing landscape of international relations and the potential implications for U.S. foreign policy.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the United Kingdom have jointly targeted a network led by Iranian narcotics trafficker Naji Ibrahim Sharifi-Zindashti, which operates at the behest of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) and has carried out numerous acts of transnational repression including assassinations and kidnappings across multiple jurisdictions. The network has also plotted operations in the United States. The U.S. and its allies are committed to combating the Iranian regime’s transnational repression and utilizing all available tools to stop this threat, especially on U.S. soil. Multiple individuals involved in the network, including Zindashti and his key associates, have been designated for their roles in materially assisting, sponsoring, or providing support for the MOIS.
The recent allegations of India's involvement in assassination plots against Sikh separatists in the US and Canada have raised questions about the motives behind these actions. While Sikh separatism has largely faded in India, the Modi government sees Sikhs as a potential obstacle to its Hindu nationalist agenda. By invoking the history of Sikh secessionism, the government aims to delegitimize Sikh opposition to its policies. However, the alleged assassination attempts have caused international backlash and damaged India's relations with Western security agencies. The long-term implications of targeting the Sikh minority for political gains remain a concern, as Hindu nationalists seek to consolidate power and marginalize dissenting voices.
The US has imposed sanctions on an Iranian Revolutionary Guard official and others for their alleged involvement in plots to kill former national security adviser John Bolton and other officials around the world. The plots are part of ongoing efforts by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard to avenge the 2020 US airstrike that killed Qassem Soleimani. The sanctions accuse three people based in Iran and Turkey, a company affiliated with Iran’s Quds Force, and two senior officials of Iran’s Intelligence Organization in global plots to kill former US officials, journalists, and Iranian dissidents abroad. The sanctions block all access to the targeted people's US money and property and prohibit Americans and American firms from working with them.