In a swift rebuttal on Monday, the spokesperson of the Iranian embassy, Hamid Reza said: “While I deny this baseless accusation, we will provide you with more information soon.”
Durban – The Embassy of the Republic of Iran in Pretoria has labelled claims that it was hatching a plot to assassinate US ambassador to South Africa, Lana Marks, as baseless.
In a swift rebuttal sent to Independent Media on Monday, the spokesperson of the embassy, Hamid Reza said: “While I deny this baseless accusation, we will provide you with more information soon.”
The rebuttal was in response to a news report by an American online publication, Politico.
The publication alleged that the Iranians were planning to assassinate Marks whom they see as low hanging fruit in their bid to hit back at the Americans.
The Politico report was based on information sourced from US intelligence officials and it was immediately picked up by Israeli media outlets where anti-Iranian sentiment is high because they differ on the Palestinian issue.
According to Politico, Marks’ assassination would be carried as revenge for the January 2020 killing of Qasem Soleimani, a top Iranian army commander who was taken out by the Donald Trump administration.
Soleimani was killed in Baghdad, Iraq in what Trump later described as a pre-emptive strike as he was planning to harm American forces in the volatile Middle East country of Iraq.
In the article which is being questioned by some, Politico further alleged that US officials have been aware of a general threat against the South African born Marks since the start of the US spring.
But the intelligence about the threat to the ambassador has become more specific in recent weeks and claimed that the Iranian embassy in Pretoria is involved in the plot.
Politico reported that Iran wants to kill Marks because they view her as very close to Trump.
Political Bureau
