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Iran plans to assassinate the US ambassador to South Africa, Lana Marks, in retaliation for the assassination of General Qassem Soleimani. The information appears in reports from US intelligence services, and the operation would involve the Iranian embassy in the African state, writes the publication Politico, citing government officials who had access to these reports.
US officials have known since the spring of a general threat to the ambassador. In recent weeks, however, more accurate secret information about an attack has been obtained. The official source cited by Political says the Iranian embassy in Pretoria is involved in the preparations.
The Tehran government has had a clandestine network of agents in South Africa for decades. In 2015, television and the Al Jazeera newspaper The Guardian they reported secret documents that gave details about it.
Why are you joining Lana Marks
northIt is clear why the South African diplomat has come under Iranian scrutiny, but the US services believe her friendship with Donald Trump is to blame.
Lana Marks, 66, was a member of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club before being named an ambassador.
US officials believe Iran has targeted it as well because it would be an easier target than its counterparts in Western countries, for example, where the United States has closer relations with intelligence services.
Trump, in full electoral campaign, would have forced a counterattack
However, attacking the diplomat would be just one of the options considered by Iran, US officials believe.
Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force, in charge of overseas operations for the Revolutionary Guards (elite units of the Iranian army), was killed by a US drone in January in Baghdad, Iraq. In response, the Iranians attacked US bases in Iraq, also causing collateral casualties: the downing of a civilian airliner. Although tensions between the United States and Iran have remained high since then, this chapter was believed to be closed.
And now, a possible Iranian retaliatory attack could not only increase tensions between Washington and Tehran, but could force Donald Trump to fight back, possibly even during the election campaign. Political.
In any case, Lana Marks was warned about the possible attack, the publication states.
Lana Marks, 66, was born in South Africa and was sworn in as an ambassador in October last year. Consecrated as a handbag designer, she has known President Trump for more than 20 years, was a member of his club and was among the personal friends of Princess Diana. He speaks several languages widely spoken in South Africa, including Afrikaans and Xhosa, writes Agerpres.
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