By: Fern Sidman

In a striking development underscoring the increasingly global reach of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar revealed Saturday night that a terrorist plot orchestrated by the IRGC targeting Israeli citizens in Cyprus was successfully foiled thanks to swift intelligence cooperation between the island nation’s authorities and Israeli security agencies. The announcement comes amid heightened tensions between Israel and Iran following weeks of open conflict, missile exchanges, and escalated covert operations.

Sa’ar, in a statement published on X (formerly Twitter), credited Cypriot security services and their “close cooperation” with Israel’s intelligence community for the disruption of what he described as a “deliberate effort by the Iranian criminal regime to murder Israeli civilians abroad.” As reported by The Jewish News Syndicate (JNS), the Foreign Minister warned that such actions underscore the existential threat posed by Tehran’s global terror network. “Israel will continue to act to eliminate the existential threat posed by the Iranian terror regime,” he affirmed.

According to the information provided in the JNS report, the thwarted plot involved the arrest of a man identified by Cypriot media as a British national of Azerbaijani origin with direct connections to the IRGC. The suspect, whose identity has not been formally disclosed, had allegedly been conducting reconnaissance activities on Israeli and Western targets since arriving in Cyprus in April. Local news sources cited by Ynet News and JNS suggest he was not only planning a near-term attack on Israeli tourists and institutions but was also gathering intelligence on British military installations on the island—a signal of a potentially broader Iranian strategy targeting allied forces in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Authorities in Nicosia confirmed that the suspect was brought before a judge on Saturday and that his detention has been extended for at least eight days. The decision followed “reliable information” reportedly shared by a foreign intelligence agency, widely assumed to be Israel’s Mossad, according to the JNS report.

The incident marks the latest in a string of foiled Iranian plots on European soil and reaffirms warnings from Israeli defense and intelligence officials about Tehran’s expanding global campaign of asymmetric warfare.

Foreign Minister Sa’ar’s statement echoed what Israeli leaders have described as a “deliberate Iranian campaign” of targeting Israeli civilians well beyond the region’s traditional flashpoints. “This is not just a war between Israel and Iran. It is a war between a law-abiding democratic state and a rogue regime that has used terror as an instrument of statecraft for over four decades,” Sa’ar told JNS in a separate comment.

Indeed, the attempted attack in Cyprus reflects a growing pattern. In recent years, Iran has been implicated in plots to assassinate Israeli diplomats and Jewish civilians in countries as far-flung as Thailand, Colombia, Georgia, Turkey, and even the United States. These plots are often directed by the IRGC’s clandestine Quds Force, which has long been Tehran’s primary vehicle for external operations and support to proxy forces.

The report at JNS noted that last week, Israeli intelligence services issued an alert warning that Iranian operatives were increasing their surveillance of Israeli-owned businesses, cultural centers, and synagogues across Europe and Asia.

Cyprus, home to multiple British military installations, has become a strategic focal point in the broader Middle East conflict. The Jewish News Syndicate reported that Western intelligence agencies are increasingly concerned that Iran might expand its campaign by targeting UK assets in the Eastern Mediterranean. The concern follows public accusations from Tehran alleging that London has assisted Israel’s defense efforts, including the interception of Iranian missile barrages and the sharing of intelligence related to nuclear facility vulnerabilities.

According to the information contained in the JNS report, the IRGC has blamed the United Kingdom for providing logistical support to Israeli strikes, specifically those that recently targeted Iranian nuclear sites in Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow. These accusations may have served as a pretext for the IRGC to extend its operational footprint into Europe, specifically in regions where military targets overlap with Israeli civilian populations.

Cypriot authorities, aware of the risks, have ramped up security across the island in recent days. The JNS report confirmed that police have increased patrols around Jewish institutions, synagogues, and hotels known to house Israeli tourists. The level of vigilance reflects not only the recent plot but also the broader regional instability generated by Israel and Iran’s escalating shadow war.

In a parallel development, the Israel Defense Forces facilitated the maritime evacuation of approximately 1,500 Israelis stranded in Cyprus, as part of “Operation Safe Return”—an emergency repatriation effort overseen by Israel’s Ministry of Transport. As reported by JNS, the passenger vessel departed the Port of Limassol and arrived at Ashdod early Friday morning, docking at 4:30 a.m. under heavy security.

The evacuation followed the closure of Ben Gurion Airport and other Israeli airspace in the wake of escalating hostilities with Iran, which included long-range missile strikes against Israeli cities. Many Israelis found themselves cut off in neighboring countries, prompting a flurry of emergency diplomatic efforts to ensure safe returns through both naval and air corridors.

The report at JNS quoted a Ministry of Transport official as saying, “The safety of every Israeli abroad is a national priority. We have executed this operation with the utmost urgency and precision, thanks to cooperation with Cypriot authorities.”

The Cyprus incident raises critical questions about the IRGC’s operational ambitions. The attempt to carry out a terrorist attack on European soil, particularly targeting Israeli civilians and British military assets, may indicate a shift in Iran’s strategy toward more direct confrontation with Western interests.

According to the JNS report, some Israeli intelligence analysts believe the plot was part of a broader campaign to internationalize the current conflict and destabilize alliances between Israel, the U.S., and European partners. In this view, Iran seeks to stretch its adversaries’ defensive resources thin while signaling that its ability to project terror transcends regional boundaries.

Former Mossad senior official Yaakov Amidror told JNS, “This plot in Cyprus demonstrates the need for continuous intelligence cooperation between Israel and Western democracies. Iran is testing the limits. If we do not respond with unity and resolve, it will escalate its campaign.”

The foiled Iranian terror plot in Cyprus marks a sobering reminder of the lengths to which the Islamic Republic is prepared to go in its confrontation with Israel. As the JNS report indicated, the incident not only reinforces longstanding warnings about Iran’s transnational terror capabilities but also highlights the critical importance of intelligence-sharing between like-minded nations.

As Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar made clear, Iran’s tactics no longer stop at borders—and neither can the resolve to counter them. “The Iranian terror regime has shown again that it is willing to attack civilians wherever they are,” Sa’ar said. “But we are watching. And we will not allow it.”