The United States on Friday accused Iran of plotting to assassinate Israel’s ambassador to Mexico, in what officials described as the latest attempt to extend the two countries’ long-running conflict into another region.
A U.S. official said the elite Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) initiated the plot in late 2024 and that it was disrupted earlier this year.
“The plot was contained and does not pose a current threat,” the official said on condition of anonymity.
“This is just the latest in a long history of Iran’s global lethal targeting of diplomats, journalists, dissidents and anyone who disagrees with them, something that should deeply worry every country where there is an Iranian presence,” the official added.
The U.S. did not provide detailed evidence or specify how the plot was thwarted. The Iranian mission to the United Nations declined to comment.
U.S. intelligence has previously reported that Iranian operatives have sought targets in Latin America, where Tehran maintains tactical ties with Venezuela’s leftist president, Nicolás Maduro.
The alleged plot would have followed Israel’s April 1, 2024, strike on the Iranian Embassy compound in Damascus, a key ally of Tehran, which killed several senior IRGC officers.
That attack prompted vows of revenge by Iran, which later launched missiles and drones against Israel.
A year later, Israel carried out a far more extensive bombing campaign inside Iran that reportedly killed more than 1,000 people. The U.S., Israel’s main ally, joined the operation by striking key sites linked to Iran’s disputed nuclear program.
Iran’s clerical government remains a key backer of Hamas, the Palestinian resistance group that launched an unprecedented attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Israel responded with a relentless military campaign that has reduced much of Gaza to rubble and expanded operations across the region, striking targets in Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Qatar and Yemen.
Israeli intelligence has accused the IRGC’s Quds Force of plotting attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets overseas.
In June 2025, Israel conducted a series of strikes inside Iran, targeting senior officials and nuclear scientists. The operation killed at least 11 Iranian nuclear scientists and 30 high-ranking security officials, including Brig. Gen. Mohammad Kazemi, head of the IRGC’s intelligence unit, and Gen. Ali Shadmani, the newly appointed wartime chief of staff.
Tehran accused Israel of breaching international law and its sovereignty, denouncing the attacks as “acts of terrorism” and pledging retaliation.
Australia later expelled Iran’s ambassador, citing Tehran’s alleged involvement in two arson attacks — one targeting a synagogue in Melbourne and another at a kosher restaurant in Sydney.
Despite the government’s anti-Israel stance since the 1979 revolution, Iran remains home to a historic Jewish community.
Mexico, which has recognized Israel since the early days of its statehood and hosts a large Jewish population, has adopted a cautious position on the Gaza war. Unlike several leftist-led Latin American countries, Mexico has backed an investigation into alleged Israeli war crimes while maintaining diplomatic ties with Tel Aviv.
