Mossad is likely recruiting and mobilizing non-Israeli operatives to carry out high-risk missions inside Iran. This network of secret agents has enabled Israel to wage a covert sabotage campaign to target key assets and facilities.
The spy agency may rely on domestic dissidents, anti-regime Iranians living abroad, and possibly members of other nationalities who can enter or travel in Iran with relative ease.
The recruitment and handling process of such agents remains shrouded in secrecy, but operatives are believed to receive some of their training in Israel.
The apparent presence of Mossad squads in Iran was noted after a mysterious strike in 2021 targeted a production facility of centrifuge components near Tehran. Iranian officials initially said that the attack was thwarted, but later reports indicated that the incident caused significant harm.
The assault was carried out by drones according to some sources, who concluded that the remote-controlled strike was launched from Iranian territory. The drones were likely smuggled into Iran and activated by foreign nationals recruited by Israel, military journalist Yoav Limor wrote in Israel Hayom daily.
Notably, former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen claimed that an earlier operation to steal Iran’s nuclear archive was carried out by a large team of non-Israelis.
As always, it is difficult to know with certainty whether Israeli agents operate on Iranian soil. According to previous reports, Mossad women from Israel were deployed for missions inside Iran.
History of covert action in Iran
Mossad has a long history of covert operations in Iranian territory. One of the most well-known campaigns attributed to Israel was the targeted assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists between 2010 and 2012.
In a string of attacks, several key figures in Iran’s nuclear program were killed in broad daylight on the streets of Tehran. These precision strikes sent shockwaves through Iran’s scientific community and disrupted the country’s nuclear program.
One of Mossad’s most audacious moves came in 2018 with the seizure of Iran’s nuclear archives. In a Hollywood-style heist, Mossad agents allegedly broke into a nondescript warehouse in Tehran, cracked 32 safes, and escaped with half a ton of top-secret nuclear documents. This operation provided valuable intelligence to Israel and its allies.
in 2020, Mossad allegedly targeted Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, often referred to as the “father” of Iran’s nuclear program. As Fakhrizadeh traveled in his car on a highway outside Tehran, he was reportedly attacked by a remote-controlled machine gun mounted on a nearby vehicle.
This high-tech assassination, which Iranian officials blamed on Israel, showcased a unique level of precision and technological prowess. The operation demonstrated Mossad’s ability to strike at the heart of Iran’s most protected assets, sending a clear message about the reach and capabilities of Israeli intelligence.
Mossad was also said to be behind a series of sabotage operations targeting Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. The explosions at the Natanz nuclear facility in 2020 and 2021 are widely believed to be the work of Mossad operatives, assumed to be locals.
