Israel’s recent wave of strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities and top military leaders has shed light on the extensive capabilities of the Mossad, Israel’s intelligence agency. According to Israeli security officials, Mossad operatives had smuggled weapons into Iran ahead of the strikes and used them to target Iran’s defense from within. This operation is the latest example of how deeply Israel’s intelligence services have penetrated some of Iran’s most closely guarded secrets.
The Mossad’s ability to operate with near impunity in Iran has been demonstrated time and time again. From assassinating top nuclear scientists to sabotaging Iranian nuclear facilities, Israel has proved its intelligence agency’s capabilities. “Mossad has treated Iran like its playground for years now,” said Holly Dagres, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute and curator of the Iranist newsletter. “From assassinating top nuclear scientists to sabotaging Iranian nuclear facilities, Israel has proved time and time again that it has always had the upper hand in this shadow war that has now been playing out in the open since the first tit-for-tat strikes in April 2024.”
The latest operation required commando forces operating deep within Tehran and across the country while avoiding detection from Iran’s security and intelligence agencies. According to an Israeli security source, Mossad teams targeted air defense missiles, ballistic missiles, and missile launchers as the attack from the Israeli Air Force began. A second Israeli security source said the Mossad operations were years in the making, involving both intelligence-gathering efforts and the deployment of Mossad commandos deep behind enemy lines.
The Mossad’s actions have made it appear a nearly unstoppable force in Iran, capable of hitting at some of its highest-ranking officials and most sensitive sites. The agency’s operations have included assassinations of top Iranian officials, such as Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, Iran’s chief nuclear scientist, who was killed in November 2020. Fakhrizadeh’s car was moving in a convoy with three security vehicles when he came under fire from a remote-controlled machine gun.
Despite Iran’s repeated inability to stop the Mossad, the agency continues to operate with remarkable precision and sophistication. Ram Ben Barak, the former deputy director of the Mossad, said the organization’s continued success is “due to a very, very disliked regime, even hated by most of the public, so this allows for intelligence penetration on one hand, and on the other, you have the sophistication and professionalism of the Israeli intelligence personnel.”
The Mossad’s actions have not been limited to assassinations. In 2018, Israel stole Iran’s nuclear archive from Tehran, displaying the intelligence coup in a live broadcast from Jerusalem. The operation, which would have required extensive planning and an intimate knowledge of the archive’s location and security, pushed the first Trump administration to withdraw from the original nuclear agreement with Iran, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
The Mossad’s latest operation has raised questions about Iran’s ability to protect its nuclear facilities and top officials. As the situation continues to unfold, one thing is clear: the Mossad’s capabilities and reach are a force to be reckoned with.
