Ecuador Arrests Iranians Travelling With Fake Israeli Passports

Fake Israeli passports were used by 2 Iranians. It is unclear whether or not the pair were affiliated to the Iranian intelligence services [Twitter]
Fake Israeli passports were used by 2 Iranians. It is unclear whether or not the pair were affiliated to the Iranian intelligence services [Twitter]
TT

Ecuador Arrests Iranians Travelling With Fake Israeli Passports

Fake Israeli passports were used by 2 Iranians. It is unclear whether or not the pair were affiliated to the Iranian intelligence services [Twitter]
Fake Israeli passports were used by 2 Iranians. It is unclear whether or not the pair were affiliated to the Iranian intelligence services [Twitter]

Authorities in the Ecuadorian capital Quito arrested two Iranians who were attempting to travel to Spain using fake Israeli passports.

According to news reports, the pair – a man and woman in their 20s – attempted to leave the South American country for the Spanish capital Madrid but were discovered to be in possession of forged travel documents, which used personal information of two Israelis.

The Iranians reportedly arrived in Ecuador using fake passports at the end of last month and attempted to travel a few days ago.

Their original Iranian passports were also found in their possession. It is unclear why they were holding fake passports or whether they were affiliated to Iran’s intelligence services, although it might be because an Israel passport holder does not require an entry visa to visit Ecuador.

In March of last year, Argentinian authorities apprehended two Iranians with forged Israeli passports that “were riddled with spelling mistakes in Hebrew”, according to local media at the time.



EU Commission Chief Has 'Severe Pneumonia'

FILE - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen addresses a media conference at the end of an EU summit in Brussels, Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Omar Havana, File)
FILE - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen addresses a media conference at the end of an EU summit in Brussels, Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Omar Havana, File)
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EU Commission Chief Has 'Severe Pneumonia'

FILE - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen addresses a media conference at the end of an EU summit in Brussels, Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Omar Havana, File)
FILE - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen addresses a media conference at the end of an EU summit in Brussels, Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Omar Havana, File)

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is ill with “severe pneumonia” and has canceled her appointments for the next two weeks, her office announced Friday.

According to The Associated Press, spokesman Stefan De Keersmaeker said her agenda had to be cleared of meetings in Lisbon and in Poland, which has just taken over the EU's rotating presidency of the 27-nation European Union.

“She is dealing with severe pneumonia,” De Keersmaeker said in a statement, giving no further details about her conditions or how she fell ill.

Von der Leyen, 66, only recently started her second five-year stint at the top of the EU's powerful executive office.