Washington – Oren Confirms Israeli Embassy In Washington Was Target Of Failed Iranian Plot

Washington – In an exclusive interview with WTOP.com (http://bit.ly/NpEpxF), Michael Oren, the Israeli ambassador to the United States, confirmed that the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC was one of the targets of 56-year-old terrorist Manssor Arbabsiar, who was arrested and charged with planning to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the United States.

Arbabsiar, who has both an Iranian and American passport, had been living in Texas. He was arrested at JFK Airport on September 29, 2011 by the FBI. The amended complaint against Arbabsiar states that he “discussed the possibility of attacks on a number of targets. These targets included government facilities associated with Saudi Arabia and with ‘another’ country and these targets were located within the United States.”

Michael Oren said, “They also planned to blow up the Israeli Embassy, my embassy in this town.” He added that there was likewise a plot to blow up a restaurant in Washington, DC.

The United States Department of Justice has found that Arbabsiar was allegedly working as an agent of the Iranian government, specifically with Gholam Shakuri of Iran’s Qods Force, a special unit of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Authorities have not yet found Shakuri.

Yesterday, Israel warned Iran’s Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei to cease the country’s nuclear program or risk “widespread destruction that might affect him personally.” According to Oren, Israel is prepared to bomb Iran should it become necessary. The Israeli government has suggested military action could come in as little as a few months from now.

Following the deadly attack in Bulgaria on July 18 which killed five Israelis and wounded 30 people, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu swore revenge for the recent series of attacks against Israelis in India, Thailand, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kenya and Cyprus.