Inside Iran, Under Its Nose, How Mossad Built A Secret Network That Crippled Tehran

India.com

4 hours ago

Israel-Iran War: Recent events suggest the ground war between Israel and Iran had begun long before bombs fell from the sky. Israeli intelligence agents, particularly from Mossad, have been operating covertly within Iran for years, mapping out key targets and preparing a series of precision attacks.
Iranian leaders had long suspected foreign infiltration within their security forces. But identifying Mossad's footprint is difficult. Israel rarely confirms its covert actions, and other intelligence services could have played roles as well. Still, mounting evidence indicates Mossad played a central part in identifying and preparing the bomb sites.
Early media reports and whispers from within Israeli circles point to a sophisticated campaign. Places like antiaircraft missile depots, submarine defences, command centres and individual military figures were simultaneously hit with pinpoint accuracy. These attacks were possible thanks to extensive on-the-ground intelligence gathered over months and years.
Attacks did not stop at weapons systems; they also struck at Iran's internal intelligence networks. The impact has been palpable. And in their wake, tension and confusion have gripped Iran's military leadership.
Nine days into the strikes, Iran's Revolutionary Guard circulated a warning to their own teams: halt your use of personal devices – phones, laptops and smartwatches – especially those linked to communication networks. The advisory extended to ordinary citizens too, signaling fears of deep digital breaches. That is a public show of cyber security alarm rarely seen – evidence that the breaches hit deeper than missile silos.
The operation inside Iran went far beyond reconnaissance. According to Western and Israeli media, nearly complete weapon systems were assembled on Iranian soil. These included precision-guided missiles and drones, built using imported components smuggled via hidden channels through Iraqi truck convoys, cargo containers and even tourist luggage. Critical parts such as electronic fuzes, electro-optical cameras, lithium batteries and GPS kits were quietly delivered underground to Mossad's secret sites.
In Tehran's suburbs, officials discovered a three-story building serving as a covert drone workshop. Local TV showed one drone intact, wings and control units lined up and even a 3D printer likely used for manufacturing drone parts.
Iran has arrested two suspected Mossad agents on June 16 at separate sites. They were found with over 200 kilogrammes of explosives, parts for 23 drones, launchers, control gear and a Nissan vehicle – suggesting serious weaponisation efforts.
In Isfahan, home to several nuclear sites, the Iranian police raided a workshop full of drone and micro-drone parts. Four people were detained. Reports indicate that these drones were being assembled locally using 3D printers and locally sourced parts, likely to avoid supply chain exposure and detection.
Media sources cannot be independently confirmed, but Iranian agencies have a history of detaining alleged spies, sometimes releasing them after later declaring innocence.
The precision aspect extended beyond drones. Spy cables shared with Iran's Press TV mentioned seizure of remote-controlled 'spike' missile launchers, specifically modified to strike Iran's air defense systems. These devices were not mounted on vehicles or drones, but placed camouflaged on tripods and remotely controlled from afar with satellite antennas and optical trackers.
Last seen in action in 2020, such remote-controlled weapons even killed a leading Iranian nuclear scientist. All evidence suggests Mossad is employing a mix of drones, missiles and electronic warfare to neutralise Iranian defenses before the bombs hit.
Beyond hardware, Mossad's plan included striking at the heart of Iranian leadership. Spikes and other weapon systems were reportedly used in assassination-style attacks on mid-ranking military leaders. These were not broad swaths of violence instead, precise actions aimed at the people who held command and control within Iran's armed forces.
Notably, two senior IRGC intelligence commanders were targeted in successive strikes – with one commander's killing followed just days later by another's death, believed to be from the same covert operation.
According to a recent report by the Hudson Institute, these operations reflect long-term planning. Over years, intelligence from agents on the ground was combined with real-time monitoring and then turned into destructive ground actions. This is not a simple drone strike. It is a layered and highly calculated campaign whose foundations were laid long before the first missile flew.
Mossad's operations in Iran illustrate a new model of covert warfare where human networks, advanced weaponry and cyber tactics combine on enemy soil. No longer reliant solely on airstrikes, Israel has quietly built a playbook for strategic sabotage from beneath Iran's own watchful eyes.