Senior IRGC official Col. Hassan Sayyad Khodayari, who oversaw assassination and abduction operations against Israelis, Jews and others worldwide, was behind an attempt to assassinate Rav Schneur Segal, the Chabad shaliach in Baku, as well as the Israeli ambassador.

In 2012, Azerbaijani security forces thwarted the plot, arresting three Azerbaijani citizens who had been recruited by Iranian intelligence agents to harm Israeli and Jewish targets. Their number one target was then-Israeli Ambassador in Baku Michael Lotem and they also planned on assassinating two teachers at the Ohr Avner Chabad Jewish Day School in Baku.

The detainees had been promised $150,000 for the assassinations and had been supplied with a sniper rifle, pistols, and explosive devices in order to carry out them out.

The plotted assassinations were an Iranian attempt to retaliate for Israel’s elimination of Iranian nuclear scientists.

Source: (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)