Peru arrests an Iranian man accused of planning an attack on an Israeli citizen
Police in Peru have announced the arrest of an Iranian citizen who was purportedly a member of the Iranian Quds Force and had allegedly planned to kill an Israeli citizen in the South American country
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Police in Peru on Friday announced the arrest of an Iranian citizen who was purportedly a member of the Iranian Quds Force and had allegedly planned to kill an Israeli citizen in the South American country.
Gen. Óscar Arriola, Peru's police chief, said in a press conference that Majid Azizi, 56, was arrested in Lima Thursday along with two Peruvian citizens.
Arriola said authorities thwarted the attack against the Israeli. He did not identify the intended target for security reasons.
Police are still looking for a third Peruvian they think was in charge of killing the Israeli man, he said.
Arriola said Azizi entered Lima on March 3, and they were alerted about him by foreign intelligence offices.
The Associated Press couldn't independently confirm whether Azizi is a member of the Quds Force. Iranian authorities have not commented.
The Quds Force is an elite wing of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, and oversees foreign operations.
This is the first time Peruvian authorities have announced the arrest of an alleged member of that group.
Arriola said Azizi was captured after withdrawing money from an ATM and, along with the two Peruvians arrested, will remain in prison for an initial 15 days under terrorism charges.
The general said the man intended to return to Iran the same day he was captured.
Azizi is married to a Peruvian woman, he added.