A senior Israeli military intelligence official said on Monday that Iran may stage an attack on the World Cup but may balk amid uncertainty about how host Qatar will react.
Major General Aharon Haliva, intelligence chief of the Israel Defense Forces, attended an Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) conference in Tel Aviv on Monday, and spoke about the protests taking over the country and how they might impact the World Cup, soccer’s largest international tournament.
Enner Valencia of Ecuador scores his team’s first goal during a Group A – Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup match between Qatar and Ecuador at Al Bayt Stadium on November 20, 2022, in Al Khor, Qatar.
(Pablo Morano/BSR Agency/Getty Images)
“Iran is considering interrupting the 2022 World Cup in Qatar,” Haliva said. “However, the only thing stopping them – what will be the reaction of Qatar?”
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Protests in Iran have been ongoing since a woman named Mahsa Amini died while in the custody of the morality police in Tehran in September, in what is being billed as the biggest challenge to Iranian religious leaders since the 1979 revolution.
Not only has Amini’s death sparked outrage in Tehran, but protests have spread across the country.
The country’s leaders have deployed troops into a Kurdish town to retake control of the city, which has been overtaken by protesters.
Protesters in Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza outside the United Nations building demonstrate against the president of the Iranian regime, Ebrahim Raisi, for his direct role in the massacre of political prisoners in 1988. Raisi will speak at the United Nations General Assembly today, September 21 2022.
(John Mantel for Fox News Digital)
Videos on social media showed the streets of Mahabad were filled with military vehicles and, in one incident, Iranian forces opened fire on a crowd gathered for what was supposed to be a speech by the governor.
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Haliva said the ongoing protests are unusual due to their duration and intensity, adding how the demonstrations are changing the lines of civil unrest.
It is worrying the Iranian regime, mainly due to the existing and growing international pressure and the difficult economic situation, the general said.
Iranian fans hold up placards reading Woman Life Freedom and Freedom For Iran, ahead of the World Cup Group B football match between England and Iran at the Khalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar on Monday 21 November 2022.
(AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
“As the pressure on Iran increases, the Iranian reaction to various events is more aggressive,” he said. “We should expect more aggressive actions by Iran in the region and in the world.”
As Iran determines its next step, Haliva was adamant that the World Cup was under threat.
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“I’m telling you that the Iranians are now considering the possibility of participating in the World Cup in Qatar as well,” he said. “They fear Qatar’s reaction. This trend will continue. Iran is under pressure, and this translates into aggressive actions.”
Yonat Friling of Fox News contributed to this report.
