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Diplomacy and International Institutions

The World Next Week: The Alleged Iranian Assassination Plot

By experts and staff

Published
  • James M. LindsayCFR Expert
    Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy
Manssor Arbabsiar is shown in this courtroom sketch during an appearance in a Manhattan courtroom in New York, New York on October 11, 2011. Arbabsiar, 56, who is a naturalized U.S. citizen and holds an Iranian passport, was arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on Sept. 29. U.S. authorities broke up a plot by two men linked to the Iranian government to assassinate the Saudi ambassador in the United States, U.S. officials said on Tuesday, escalating tensions between Tehran and Washington. Arbabsiar was ordered detained and assigned a public defender. REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg
Manssor Arbabsiar is shown in this courtroom sketch during an appearance in a Manhattan courtroom in New York, New York on October 11, 2011. (Jane Rosenberg/courtesy Reuters)

The World Next Week podcast is up. Bob McMahon and I talked about the alleged Iranian plot to assassinate the Saudi Arabian ambassador to the United States; next week’s Republican presidential debate; and elections for five non-permanent seats on the UN Security Council.

[audio: https://www.cfr.org/content/publications/media/podcast/2011/20111013_TWN…]

The highlights:

The New York Times reports on how the United States may respond to the alleged Iranian plot and the Economist examines the links between the would-be assassins and the Iranian government. CNN lists the entry criteria for the debate it plans to host with the Western Republican Leadership Conference –requirements that may exclude Huntsman. An op-ed in Dawn encourages Pakistani leadership to focus on winning a non-permanent Security Council seat, while the Times of India discusses a particular challenge Pakistan’s bid faces.