Iran threatens to infiltrate US army base, kill senior general: intelligence officials to AP

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Iran has reportedly threatened to infiltrate a US Army base in Washington and kill the Army’s vice chief of staff, senior intelligence officials told AP News on Sunday.

According to communications intercepted by the National Security Agency (NSA) in January, it revealed discussions between Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to target Fort McNair Army base in the US capital, with plans to infiltrate, surveil and bomb the base, reported AP on Sunday, citing senior army officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The IRGC had discussed mounting an attack “USS Cole-style”, referring to an October 2000 suicide attack in the Aden port of Yemen that killed 17 sailors.

The killing of General Joseph M. Martin, who lives at the base, was also discussed.

The Pentagon, NSA, and the National Security Council were contacted by AP, but were not available for comment.

The two intelligence officials added that the intercepted communication was between members of the elite Quds Force of the IRGC and “centered on potential military options to avenge the US killing of the former Quds leader, Gen. Qassem Soleimani,” reports AP.

One swimmer who ended up on the base was arrested for breaching security on the installation, the Army’s Major General Omar Jones said in a January meeting to discuss restrictions, also citing “credible and specific” threats on Army leaders that live inside the base.

Army officials were prompted by NSA to renew their request for restrictions on the base, after it was proposed two years ago.

Washington and Tehran have had a rocky relationship in recent years, exacerbated following the US assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani and Iraqi militia chief Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis on January 3.

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council vowed to avenge Soleimani’s death “in the right place and time” on the same day following his death. "America should know that its criminal attack on General Soleimani has been the country's biggest mistake in west Asia,” they said.

Iran has, since then, persistently called for the expulsion of US forces from the Middle East, particularly Iraq.

In a meeting in early February with Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, Iranian Foreign Minister Muhammad Javad Zarif pressed for the expulsion of US troops from the Middle East which he said would be a suitable response to Soleimani’s assassination.

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