Cypriot authorities, in collaboration with the Israeli intelligence service Mossad, thwarted an Iranian-ordered attack targeting Israelis and Jews on the island, reported Reuters.
The plot was uncovered and foiled by Cypriot security forces in early November. Such attacks have seen an increase since the outbreak of the Israel-Gaza war.
The two suspects, identified as Mohammad Reza Ebadi Arablu and Sa’id Ebadi, have since been in custody, according to The Times of Israel.
One of the intended targets was an Israeli businessman who resides on the island nation. This individual was alerted and left Cyprus last month, added the Times of Israel.
The investigation revealed that the Iranian suspects had utilized fake identity documents and were political refugees with ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), an organization designated as a terror group by various countries, including the United States.
The suspects had entered Cyprus from Turkey, and one of them had been involved in a previous terror plot within the country, Channel 12 reported.
The newspaper Kathimerini Cyprus reported that the two Iranians are awaiting deportation.
Iran has denied any involvement in the alleged plot.
Cyprus, a quick hop from Israel of about an hour by air, is a popular destination for Israeli vacationers and investors.
In a separate incident in September, 2021, Cyprus police arrested an Azeri individual attempting to cross into the Turkish-occupied north of the island while in possession of a firearm.