12 hours ago
Iran busts Mossad cell: Drones and bomb gear seized
Shafaq News/ Iranian authorities on Monday arrested an alleged Mossad-linked cell in Rey city, south of Tehran, uncovering a stockpile of drone components and explosives.
Rey's police chief, Colonel Hossein Mafi, told Iranian media that security forces stormed a residential property following reports of suspicious activity. Inside, they found over 200 kilograms of explosives, dozens of drone wings, 33 launch platforms, and extensive equipment used to manufacture kamikaze drones and homemade bombs.
'Had their devices been operational, they could have caused extensive destruction and civilian casualties,' Mafi said, adding that the suspects were immediately taken into custody.
The raid came after the execution of Ismail Fikri, an alleged Mossad agent convicted of espionage and sabotage. According to Iran's Tasnim News Agency, Fikri was hanged early Monday after final judicial approval. He had been arrested in December 2023 in a 'complex intelligence operation' while allegedly operating in direct contact with two Israeli intelligence officers.
Judicial documents cited by Tasnim state that Fikri leaked classified information on sensitive security sites and individuals in Iran in exchange for financial rewards.
Earlier, state media reported the capture of a senior Mossad operative near the Iran-Iraq border, alongside 19 others allegedly linked to Israeli intelligence. Fourteen suspects were arrested in Hormozgan, southeastern Iran, while five others were detained in Yazd for allegedly filming sensitive sites and coordinating with Israeli entities.
The operations come amid rising tensions following Israel's Operation Rising Lion, which targeted Iranian military and nuclear infrastructure on June 13. Iran responded with True Promise III, launching waves of drones and missiles at Israeli territory.
