US Disrupts Iranian Plot to Assassinate Saudi Ambassador in Washington DC

The US Justice Department reveals an alleged Iranian government plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the United States on American soil, using a Mexican drug cartel.

In October 2011, the US Department of Justice announced it had disrupted an alleged Iranian government plot to assassinate Saudi Ambassador Adel Al-Jubeir in Washington DC, possibly by bombing a restaurant. The plot allegedly involved members of Iran's Quds Force and a Mexican drug cartel. US officials accused Iran's government of directly sponsoring the assassination attempt. Iran vehemently denied involvement, calling the charges a fabrication. Two individuals — an Iranian-American and an Iranian — were charged. The episode, while murky in its details and questioned by some analysts, significantly inflamed US-Iran tensions and led to additional sanctions. It illustrated Iran's alleged willingness to conduct operations on American territory.