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This month, Israel conducted strikes on Iran, targeting key military installations and leadership. According to an Al Jazeera analysis, these attacks were underpinned by years of intelligence operations led by Israel’s Mossad, alongside other strategic measures aimed at weakening Iran.
Mossad is credited with infiltrating Iran’s security apparatus extensively, destroying critical defense infrastructure, and assassinating military commanders. Following the attacks, Iran arrested several individuals accused of spying for Mossad, supporting Israel through media, or disrupting public opinion. Iran has banned senior officials from using internet-connected smartphones and urged citizens to provide information on rented properties to counter Israeli hacking and intelligence leaks.
Israel’s intelligence operations combined human intelligence with artificial intelligence (AI), severely damaging Iran’s air defense systems. According to the Associated Press, former Mossad research director Sima Shine stated that the attack targeted Iran’s nuclear program, marking the culmination of years of covert operations. Israeli agents reportedly deployed drones and missiles within Iran, using intelligence from previous attacks and a U.S.-developed AI model to strike designated targets.
Israel claims to have killed two senior Quds Force officers, Saeed Izadi and Behnam Shahriyari, last week, with their locations identified through intelligence networks. On June 17, Israel assassinated Major General Ali Shademani in an airstrike. Defense analyst Hamze Attar told Al Jazeera that Israel likely operates 30-40 cells inside Iran, comprising local collaborators who collect intelligence, smuggle weapons, or conduct attacks.
Israel’s intelligence operations in Iran date back to the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Notable operations include the 2024 explosions of Hezbollah’s communication devices in Lebanon, the assassinations of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh, and the 2010 Stuxnet virus that infected 30,000 computers across 14 Iranian nuclear facilities.
Iran also conducts espionage against Israel. In October 2024, Israel’s Shin Bet arrested seven Israeli citizens suspected of spying for Iran, with another group detained in Haifa for allegedly aiding Iran’s intelligence ministry during wartime.
AI/MR
