Security officials revealed this weekend that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) attempted to hire a Georgian drug trafficker to assassinate Rabbi Shneor Segal, a prominent Chabad emissary in Azerbaijan, offering a $200,000 bounty for the hit
According to The Washington Post, a Quds Force officer met last fall with Agil Aslanov, a known Georgian crime figure, providing him with Segal’s photograph and detailed instructions on carrying out the murder. In addition to targeting the rabbi, the plot included plans to strike a local Jewish education center
Azerbaijan’s State Security Service uncovered the scheme in early January, arresting Aslanov and his local accomplice, Jeyhun Ismayilov, on charges of conspiring to commit a terrorist act. Officials stated that the would‑be assassins had been gathering intelligence on Segal’s residence and workplace via a mobile messaging app
Segal, who only learned of the threat through media reports, expressed relief but underscored the broader implications: “We live here peacefully. I walk on the streets here, and there is no fear,” he told The Washington Post. Yet the plot highlights Tehran’s expanding strategy of outsourcing terror to criminal networks abroad.
This failed assassination follows similar Iranian‑linked attacks on Jewish leaders overseas, including the November 2024 murder of Rabbi Zvi Kogan in the United Arab Emirates. Experts warn that Iran’s reliance on proxies lowers operational risks for the regime while spreading fear among Jewish and Israeli communities worldwide.
The Azerbaijani government’s swift intervention earned praise from Jewish and diplomatic circles. Marcus Sheff, CEO of IMPACT‑SE, lauded Baku’s record of religious tolerance, noting that Azerbaijan’s textbooks “promote tolerance, diversity, and a heartfelt respect for Jews and Israel”
As Iran’s global terror tactics come under increasing scrutiny, the foiled plot against Rabbi Segal serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing threats faced by Jewish communities—and the importance of vigilant security cooperation.