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Lev Tahor members stopped from entering Mexico, en route to Iran


Members of the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) Lev Tahor cult have been prevented by Mexican authorities from traveling to Iran and have been returned to Guatemala, where they have resided since 2014, Mexican media reported.


The cult, numbering around 300 individuals, the majority of whom are Israeli, has made several attempts to reach Iran, first in 2018 and most recently last week.


According to the haredi news site Behaderey Haredim, the cult’s members are attempting to fly to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and continue to neighboring Iran, hoping to more freely conduct their affairs without state interference.


Guatemala blocks extremist ultra-Orthodox sect heading to Iran through Mexico


Guatemalan authorities stopped two buses carrying members of an extremist Jewish ultra-Orthodox sect from traveling across the border into Mexico, from where they were reportedly planning to reach Iran to seek asylum, Hebrew media reported Monday.


At the request of Israeli and US officials, who fear the Lev Tahor community could be used as a bargaining chip by Tehran, Guatemala has already prevented members from flying out of the country as they tried to head to the Islamic Republic.


The buses were stopped Sunday on their way to Mexico, where the passengers were apparently planning to board a plane to Kurdistan as a steppingstone to their final destination in Iran, the B’Hadrei Haredim website reported.


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