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Israeli media and security sources claim that Mossad commandos conducted extensive covert operations inside Iran for years before Friday's strikes, including establishing a drone base near Tehran and deploying precision weapons systems throughout the country.
According to reports in Yedioth Ahronoth and statements to international media, the operations allegedly involved unprecedented coordination between the Israeli army and Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad.
"At least several months ago, Israel’s top spy agency, the Mossad, began to smuggle missiles into Iran and secretly installed swarms of explosive drones deep inside the country," Two people with knowledge of the Israeli attack speaking to the The Washington Post claimed.
"Mossad commando units had also deployed before Friday to install precision-guided weapons near Iranian air defense systems," they added.
Israeli security sources described three main operational components to Fox News, Reuters, and The Times of Israel:
1. Drone base near Tehran: Mossad agents allegedly established a base of explosive drones close to the Iranian capital, which were activated during the overnight strikes to target surface-to-surface missile launchers at the Asfajabad base.
2. Vehicle-based weapons systems: Advanced strike systems were reportedly smuggled into Iran on vehicles and deployed to neutralize Iranian air defense systems, providing Israeli aircraft with operational freedom.
3. Commando-deployed precision weapons: Mossad commandos allegedly placed precision-guided munitions in open areas near Iranian surface-to-air missile sites in central Iran, which were activated simultaneously with the air strikes.
A senior Israeli security official told Fox News that extensive intelligence gathering and surveillance preceded the operation, targeting senior Iranian security officials and nuclear scientists for elimination.
"The achievement is greater than a surprise attack because there was no surprise here - the Iranians also knew about the approaching attack, and still suffered a major blow," an Israeli security source told Yedioth Ahronoth.
Israeli media reported that intelligence teams compiled a precise "elimination list" over nearly a year of preparations, targeting Iran's nuclear sites, ballistic missile factories, and security leadership.
The reports claim that dozens of senior officials and scientists were attacked simultaneously around 3:00 a.m. Israel time, with some targeted in bunkers where they had taken shelter due to advance warnings of the impending strikes.
Israeli army Intelligence Chief Major General Shlomi Binder was quoted saying: "We are embarking on a campaign that is no less than existential, against an enemy that seeks to destroy us, that is advancing rapidly in developing its nuclear capabilities."
The Israeli army released a graph claiming Iran had progressed significantly toward military-grade uranium enrichment in the past year, reaching a point just one week away from weapons capability.
An Israeli security official described the operation to The Times of Israel as requiring "groundbreaking thinking, bold planning and surgical operation of advanced technologies, special forces and agents operating in the heart of Iran while totally evading the eyes of local intelligence."
The claims could not be independently verified. Iran has not responded to the specific allegations about covert operations on its soil.
Back in 2024 following the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah by Israel, former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claimed that Israeli intelligence had infiltrated Iran’s leadership.
He revealed that a unit created to counter Israel was compromised, stating, "We established a unit to counter Israel, and the person leading it turned out to be a Mossad agent."
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