Tehran, July 18: Iranian Intelligence Minister Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejeie said on Friday that Israel had planned to assassinate Mahmoud Ahmadinejad around the time of last month’s presidential election.
The Fars news agency quoted Ejeie as saying that Israeli officials had met members of the exiled Iranian opposition group, People’s Mujahedeen of Iran (PMOI), to execute the plan.
” The Zionist regime had met with the hypocrite group (the term Iran uses for the PMOI) on the sidelines of (a meeting in) Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt and in Paris to assassinate Mr. Ahmadinejad ”
Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejeie — Iranian Intelligence Minister
“The Zionist regime had met with the hypocrite group (the term Iran uses for the PMOI) on the sidelines of (a meeting in) Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt and in Paris to assassinate Mr. Ahmadinejad,” Ejeie said.
But the PMOI set some conditions for the job, he said.
“The hypocrites set some conditions for this job and asked that the U.S. and others remove their name from the (terror) black list,” Ejeie said, referring to the recent removal of the PMOI’s name from the Europe’s terrorist black list.
” The hypocrites set some conditions for this job and asked that the U.S. and others remove their name from the (terror) black list ”
Ejeie
“The enemies even approached the rebels in east of the country to achieve this aim,” he added, referring to Sunni rebels who are engaged in a rebellion against Iran’s Shiite government.
Tensions between Iran and Israel have particularly worsened under Ahmadinejad who has regularly criticized Israel and stood with the Palestinians.
Soon after taking office in 2005, Ahmadinejad said in Israel was “doomed to be wiped off the map” just like fascism, a comment that the Western media interpreted as a threat.
Israel is one of the main opponents of Iran’s alleged nuclear program, which Tehran insists is a peaceful project for the development of energy.
–Agencies