Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency on Thursday disclosed new details of a joint international operation that thwarted what it described as an Iranian Ministry of Intelligence plot to infiltrate Israel with foreign operatives and assassinate senior Israeli officials.
According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office on behalf of the Mossad, the operation exposed an alleged network in which Iranian intelligence officers recruited criminal intermediaries to assemble operational cells capable of entering Israel, gathering intelligence on potential targets and carrying out attacks.
The Mossad said the operation was conducted in cooperation with the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) and intelligence and security services in several countries.
The 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, while intensifying efforts to carry out attacks inside Israel itself.
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 involves using criminal organizations 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, Servet Ozkur, 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, Baba Hajijafan, known as “Babak,” and Mehmet Nedim Yigit, known as “Nedim,” who are currently based in Iran under the protection of the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence.
The statement alleged that both men maintain ties to drug trafficker Naji Zindashti, whom Israel has previously accused of working on behalf of Iranian intelligence to facilitate terrorist operations.
According to the Mossad, Philippe traveled to Iran several times to receive operational instructions and payment from his handlers.
Iranian intelligence officers identified
The international investigation allegedly identified four Iranian intelligence officers behind the operation: Asadollah Behzadokhsari, Vahid Masoumi, Mohammad Hosein Zoghi and Hamid Ghasemi.
The Mossad said Behzadokhsari played a central role in directing attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets and was killed during Israel’s Operation Roaring Lion against Iran.
The statement added that Philippe 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.
