Mossad has disclosed how it thwarted an Iranian spy plot to infiltrate Israel and assassinate senior officials.
According to a statement issued by the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on behalf of Mossad, the operation exposed a network of Iranian intelligence officers who sought to recruit criminal intermediaries to enter Israel, gather intelligence on potential targets and carry out attacks.
Mossad said the operation was conducted in cooperation with the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) and intelligence and security services in several countries.
The PMO statement said Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence, together with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has led a global campaign in recent years targeting Israeli and Jewish interests.
Israeli officials said close intelligence cooperation and counterterrorism operations have foiled dozens of Iranian plots worldwide, preventing attacks and enabling criminal investigations and legal action against those involved.
The Mossad also said numerous Iranian attempts over the past two years to recruit Israeli citizens or others with access to Israel had been uncovered and disrupted.
Criminal intermediaries
According to the statement, Iran’s preferred method involved using criminal organisations as intermediaries to distance Tehran from terrorist activity.
These criminal “proxy” networks allegedly recruit operatives capable of entering Israel to conduct surveillance and, ultimately, carry out attacks.
The investigation identified a French resident known as “Philippe” as having been tasked with recruiting a foreign operational cell to infiltrate Israel.
Israeli officials said Philippe himself had been recruited by two alleged criminal operatives, one known as “Babak” and another known as “Nedim”, who are currently based in Iran under the protection of the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence.
The statement alleged that both men maintained ties to a drug trafficker whom Israel has previously accused of working on behalf of Iranian intelligence to facilitate terrorist operations.
According to Mossad, Philippe travelled to Iran several times to receive operational instructions and payment from his handlers.
The statement added that he had since been expelled from France because of his involvement in planning terrorist activity directed by Iran.
According to the Mossad, Babak and Nedim continue operating from Iran and remain targets of interest for intelligence agencies worldwide.
Israeli officials said the case once again demonstrated Iran’s use of layered proxy networks in an effort to conceal its direct involvement in terrorist operations and avoid diplomatic consequences.
The Mossad and Shin Bet said they would continue working with international partners to expose and thwart Iranian terrorism and espionage targeting Israeli and Jewish interests in Israel and abroad.
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