The Israeli Foreign Ministry warned France on Thursday of a potential effort by the Islamic Republic to target their country’s athletes and citizens during the Paris Olympic Games.
"We currently have assessments regarding the potential threat posed by Iranian terrorist proxies and other terrorist organizations who aim to carry out attacks against members of the Israeli delegation and Israeli tourists during the Olympics," Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in a letter to his French counterpart, Stephane Sejourne, that was viewed by Reuters.
The warning, issued the day before the contest’s official opening, comes as organizers in Paris have been drastically increasing security measures in the capital city amid fears that Islamist organizations will use the international competition to target the Jewish state over the war in Gaza.
France’s interior ministry has announced that more than 30,000 police officers, supported by military personnel, will be deployed around multiple venues throughout the quadrennial event.
In addition to the actions implemented by the host country, media reports have confirmed that Jerusalem dispatched Shin Bet agents to assist in the protection of the athletic delegation.
When asked to comment on the allegations, a spokesperson from the Iranian regime’s United Nations mission in New York refuted the accusations to the news outlet, labeling them as “lies and deceit.”
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