The Mossad revealed Thursday the operational chain of a foiled Iranian Ministry of Intelligence plot to infiltrate a cell of foreign nationals into Israel. According to the Mossad, the cell was recruited by a French citizen codenamed 'Philippe', who was himself recruited by two Iranian handlers. Philippe was deported from France, and his handler was killed during the opening strikes of Operation Roaring Lion. The Mossad highlighted the 'proxy of proxy' method used to distance Iran from the operation.
Following the Prime Minister's Office disclosure earlier Thursday, the Mossad released its own detailed statement on the operational chain of the foiled Iranian plot to infiltrate a terror cell into Israel. The PMO, in a statement reported by The Zioneer, had revealed the broad outlines of the 'proxy by proxy' operation aimed at targeting senior Israeli officials. The Mossad's statement provides additional granularity on the recruitment and command structure.
According to the Mossad, the cell was assembled by a French citizen using the codename 'Philippe'. Philippe was recruited by two Iranian handlers operating under the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence. He traveled to Iran several times to receive instructions and payment. The Mossad stated that Philippe was deported from France as a result of his activities, and that his handler — one of the two Iranian agents — was killed during the opening strikes of Operation Roaring Lion, the large-scale Israeli operation against Iranian assets.
The Mossad emphasized the 'proxy of proxy' method, in which Iran operates through a chain of intermediaries to obscure its fingerprints and avoid diplomatic consequences. The disclosure underscores the depth of Iranian efforts to conduct attacks on Israeli soil using foreign operatives, and the effectiveness of Israeli intelligence in disrupting them. The Zioneer previously reported on the PMO's initial disclosure, which noted the plot was uncovered through international cooperation.
6 developments
- DevelopingReport: French citizen recruited by Iran formed cell to infiltrate Israel; handler killed in 'Roaring Lion'
- StrongMossad says it foiled Iranian plot to infiltrate Israel, attack senior officials
- DevelopingAFP: Senior Mossad agent who helped eliminate 4 Hezbollah figures arrested at Beirut airport
- StrongReports: Mossad foiled Iranian assassination attempt against Yair Netanyahu in Miami
Source and signal
- Internal intake