Israel warns against travel to Turkiye, fearing Iran threat

Israel has warned its citizens against travelling to Turkiye due to Iranian threats following the assassination of a top Revolutionary Guards colonel which Tehran blamed Israel for.

Colonel Sayyad Khodaei was shot and killed by two motorcyclists in the east of the capital a week ago.

Iranian news sites said the Revolutionary Guards arrested members of an Israeli intelligence network immediately after the assassination.

Israel’s National Security Council Counter-Terrorism Bureau said the risk to Israeli nationals had escalated and Turkey “is a country at a high level of risk to Israelis at this time,” the bureau wrote in a statement released by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s office.

“The warning stems from a tangible threat to Israelis in Turkey and countries which share a border with Iran.”

Israel accuses Khodaei of plotting attacks against its citizens around the world.

According to the New York Times, Israel had informed US officials that the assassination of Khodaei was meant as a message to Iran to put an end to the activity of Unit 840, an elite unit within the IRGC tasked with carrying out attacks on targets outside Iran.

Iran has never acknowledged the existence of Unit 840, of which Khodaei was reportedly its deputy commander.

Iran has vowed to avenge Khodaei’s killing.

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