Tehran says Israel plotting to damage Turkey-Iran relations
Iran has rejected Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid’s allegations about Iranian plots to attack Israeli citizens in Turkey. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh has described Israeli accusations as "ridiculous" and a “scenario to destroy relations" between Turkey and Iran.
Reuters - Duvar English
Iran said on June 24 that Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid’s accusation of an Iranian plot to harm Israelis in Istanbul was "ridiculous" and aimed at damaging Iranian-Turkish relations.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh was quoted in a ministry tweet as saying Lapid’s “ridiculous” allegation was a “pre-designed scenario to destroy relations between the two Muslim countries," referring to Turkey and Iran.
At a news conference in Ankara on June 23, Lapid thanked his host Turkey for helping abort a suspected Iranian plot against Israelis in Istanbul and said the effort was still underway.
"In recent weeks, the lives of Israeli citizens have been saved thanks to security and diplomatic cooperation between Israel and Turkey," Lapid said. "We are confident that Turkey knows how to respond to the Iranians on this matter."
“Iran is behind these attempted terrorist attacks, the intelligence leaves no doubt about it,” he said, underlining that Tehran's attempt was a “clear violation of Turkish sovereignty.”
Israel has warned its citizens against travel to Turkey, citing suspected assassination or abduction plots by Iran, which has vowed to avenge the May 22 assassination of a Revolutionary Guards colonel in Tehran that it blamed on Israeli agents.