The Mossad announced Thursday evening that it thwarted an Iranian plot to infiltrate Israel and attack senior officials. The announcement follows a statement by the Prime Minister's Office earlier Thursday that international security forces collaborated to foil the plot.
The Mossad officially confirmed at 17:32 Jerusalem on Thursday that it had foiled an Iranian plot to infiltrate Israel and attack senior officials, providing the first on-record acknowledgment from the intelligence agency itself. At 18:05, the Prime Minister's Office issued a statement saying international security forces had collaborated to thwart the plot.
The story first emerged at 17:32 with the Prime Minister's Office announcing the foiled plot, involving the Mossad and Shin Bet, and the dismantling of an operational cell built by a French-based operative known as "Philip," who was expelled from France. Subsequent releases at the same time included a diagram of the cell and its Iranian handlers, identification of Iran's Ministry of Intelligence (MOIS) as the orchestrator, and confirmation of international cooperation. The corroboration evolved from initial anonymous security sources to official statements from the Mossad and the Prime Minister's Office.
As The Zioneer reported on July 19, unverified reports claimed the Mossad foiled an Iranian assassination attempt against Yair Netanyahu, the son of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in Miami. Other reports have highlighted Iranian efforts to carry out attacks against Israeli and US officials, including a strategic analysis on July 18 assessing that Iran is planning high-profile attacks.
The Mossad did not provide further details on the timing or specific targets of the plot. The operational status of the cell members and the full extent of international involvement remain undisclosed.
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