(Jewish Chronicle-UK) Jake Wallis Simons - Documents found by German police in a car used by Iranian spy chief Assadollah Assadi, who in February was sentenced to 20 years in prison for masterminding a failed bomb attack in Paris in 2018, disclosed a network of regime agents in 22 cities in 11 European countries, along with plans for terror attacks using explosives, acid and toxic pathogenic substances. Assadi, 48, was a senior officer in Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security, where he worked in Department 312, responsible for international assassinations. He was appointed third secretary at Tehran's embassy in Vienna in 2014. Police officers discovered a notebook containing handwritten bomb-making and fieldwork instructions, and another recording trips to 289 locations across Europe to meet agents over four years. Investigators also recovered documentation disclosing the workings of the espionage network, including receipts of expenses for reimbursement, records of monthly and quarterly spy salaries, and details of computers issued to agents. Also found were four mobile phones used to contact spies, a laptop, external hard drives and USB sticks containing intelligence training manuals. "This will have no impact whatsoever on the nuclear discussions in Vienna," said Brig.-Gen. (res.) Yossi Kuperwasser, former Director General of the Israel Ministry of Strategic Affairs. "European powers are in the palm of Tehran's hand on the nuclear issue. The Iranians know that the Europeans will take no retaliatory action, so they just do whatever they like in Europe."
2021-04-12 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive