Iran remains a major threat to Israel and the United States – with clear ambitions to expand its influence and terror activity into the Western hemisphere, said Danny Citrinowicz, a former IDF military intelligence officer and Iran expert at the Institute for National Security Studies, speaking on the Haaretz Podcast.  

Those ambitions were recently highlighted when a U.S. official revealed an advanced plan by Iran to assassinate Israel’s ambassador to Mexico, using a base of operations in Venezuela. The official said the plot was foiled earlier this year. 

“Venezuela is the hub” of Iran’s activity in the region, Citrinowicz said, adding that Tehran is developing relationships with other South American countries with a sizable Shi’ite Muslim population and “controlled by the left” in the hope of uniting against a common enemy: the United States and its allies. “Iran can find a mutual language with every country that opposes the West,” he said.  

In his conversation with host Allison Kaplan Sommer, Citriowicz also discussed Iran’s renewal of its nuclear capabilities, as reported by the New York Times, and the potential Israeli response to the prospect that they appear to be increasing their missile capabilities to the point where they can rain thousands more explosives on Israel than they did in June’s 12-day war. 

“We’re in a very risky and unstable situation, and I don't think we’ve seen the last of the clashes between Israel and Iran.”

Read more:

What the Next Israel-Iran Missile War Will Look Like

The Israeli Influence Operation Aiming to Install Reza Pahlavi as Shah of Iran

Israeli FM: Iran Tried to Attack Multiple Israeli Embassies and Diplomats, Not Only Envoy in Mexico

Paradox of Success: Israelis Fail to See That the Next Iran War Will Be Worse

Opinion by Danny Citrinowicz | How a Historic Israel-Iran Non-aggression Pact Could Change the Middle East

Iran remains a major threat to Israel and the United States &ndash; with clear ambitions to expand its influence and terror activity into the Western hemisphere, said Danny Citrinowicz, a former IDF military intelligence officer and Iran expert at the Institute for National Security Studies, speaking on the Haaretz Podcast.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Those ambitions were recently highlighted when a U.S. official revealed an advanced plan by Iran to assassinate Israel&rsquo;s ambassador to Mexico, using a base of operations in Venezuela. The official said the plot was foiled earlier this year.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Venezuela is the hub&rdquo; of Iran&rsquo;s activity in the region, <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2025-08-14/ty-article-opinion/.premium/trump-should-seal-the-deal-a-historic-israel-iran-non-aggression-pact/00000198-a33f-dba8-a3dc-b3ff14810000">Citrinowicz</a> said, adding that Tehran is developing relationships with other South American countries with a sizable Shi&rsquo;ite Muslim population and &ldquo;controlled by the left&rdquo; in the hope of uniting against a common enemy: the United States and its allies. &ldquo;Iran can find a mutual language with every country that opposes the West,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;
In his conversation with host Allison Kaplan Sommer, Citriowicz also discussed Iran&rsquo;s renewal of its nuclear capabilities, as reported by <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/09/world/middleeast/iran-nuclear-program-israel.html">the New York Times</a>, and the potential Israeli response to the prospect that they appear to be increasing their missile capabilities to the point where they can rain thousands more explosives on Israel than they did in June&rsquo;s 12-day war.&nbsp;
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re in a very risky and unstable situation, and I don't think we&rsquo;ve seen the last of the clashes between Israel and Iran.&rdquo;
Read more:
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/security-aviation/2025-08-08/ty-article-magazine/what-the-next-israel-iran-missile-war-will-look-like/00000198-8444-dfd7-a5df-bceeab6f0000">What the Next Israel-Iran Missile War Will Look Like</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/security-aviation/2025-10-03/ty-article-magazine/.premium/the-israeli-influence-operation-in-iran-pushing-to-reinstate-the-shah-monarchy/00000199-9f12-df33-a5dd-9f770d7a0000">The Israeli Influence Operation Aiming to Install Reza Pahlavi as Shah of Iran</a>
<a href="http://haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-11-11/ty-article/.premium/israeli-fm-iran-tried-to-attack-multiple-israeli-diplomats-not-only-envoy-in-mexico/0000019a-72fd-d6d8-af9b-76ff37ae0000">Israeli FM: Iran Tried to Attack Multiple Israeli Embassies and Diplomats, Not Only Envoy in Mexico</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-07-18/ty-article/.premium/paradox-of-success-israelis-fail-to-see-that-the-next-iran-war-will-be-worse/00000198-1dbc-da26-abba-ddfda02f0000">Paradox of Success: Israelis Fail to See That the Next Iran War Will Be Worse</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2025-08-14/ty-article-opinion/.premium/trump-should-seal-the-deal-a-historic-israel-iran-non-aggression-pact/00000198-a33f-dba8-a3dc-b3ff14810000">Opinion by Danny Citrinowicz | How a Historic Israel-Iran Non-aggression Pact Could Change the Middle East</a>

From Haaretz – Israel's oldest daily newspaper – a weekly podcast in English on Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World, hosted by Allison Kaplan Sommer.

From Haaretz – Israel's oldest daily newspaper – a weekly podcast in English on Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World, hosted by Allison Kaplan Sommer.

Your audio guide to Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World.

Haaretz Podcast

From Haaretz – Israel's oldest daily newspaper – the Haaretz weekly podcast in English on Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World, hosted by Allison Kaplan Sommer. 

From Haaretz – Israel's oldest daily newspaper – the Haaretz weekly podcast in English on Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World, hosted by Allison Kaplan Sommer.

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