A 76-year-old former Spanish politician who was shot in the face Thursday and has since been recovering believes Iran might be involved in the assassination attempt.
Alejo Vidal-Quadras, once a European Parliament vice president, got shot in broad daylight in Madrid during the country's tumultuous crisis over whether its ruling party will be right-wing or left-wing.
An anonymous member of Spanish law enforcement told The Associated Press that Vidal-Quadras theorized his association with Iranian opposition parties might be related to the incident.
While there is currently no evidence of the link to Iran, the source said police have not ruled it out yet.
Another source said a provincial brigade that investigates terrorism and extremism was put on the case. The inquiry had previously been led by agents specialized in homicides.
The Daily Mail noted that Vidal-Quadras was one of the first politicians Iran placed on its "terrorist list" due to his support for the People's Mojahedin Organization — a group seeking to overthrow the mullahs.
Elsewhere in the case, police have yet to arrest anyone involved. The unidentified suspect, wearing a black helmet, had fired one gunshot before fleeing on a motorbike alongside an accomplice.
The former politician, who was shot in the face, shockingly only fractured his jawbone. He is in stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries and is set to undergo surgery on his jaw.
Vidal-Quadras is a member of the right-wing Vox party, which did well in Spain's recent elections but was unable to form a government after a deal between the ruling Socialist Party and Catalan separatists.
Police are also probing whether those circumstances had anything to do with the shooting.
Luca Cacciatore ✉
Luca Cacciatore, a Newsmax general assignment writer, is based in Arlington, Virginia, reporting on news and politics.
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