File image.
Mossad, working with foreign intelligence services, foiled an Iranian plot to send operatives into the country to assassinate senior Israeli officials, the Israeli spy agency announced on July 23.
The operation, the agency said, was led by Iran’s Intelligence Ministry, which enlisted criminal organizations to recruit people already inside Israel — or capable of entering it — to gather intelligence on a target before mounting an attack.
Two alleged criminals living in Iran under the Intelligence Ministry’s protection, identified as Baba Mahuzadeh Haji Jafan, known as “Babak,” and Mehmet Nadim Ya’it, known as “Nadim,” recruited Turut Ozkor, an alleged criminal based in France known as “Philip.”
According to the Mossad, the handlers running Babak and Nadim from within Iran’s Intelligence Ministry were Asadollah Behzad Oskhari, Vahid Matzoumi, Mohammad-Hossein Zoghi, and Hamid Qasemi.
Oskhari, described by the Mossad as a central figure in plots against Jewish and Israeli targets worldwide, was killed during Israel’s 12-day bombing campaign against Iran last year.
Click to see full-size image. (Mossad)
Philip’s role was to assemble a cell of foreign nationals who would enter Israel, the Mossad said. He is reported to have traveled to Iran on several occasions to meet his handlers and collect payment. He was subsequently expelled from France; Babak and Nadim remain in Iran.
“Despite the attempt to avoid an Iranian fingerprint, the proxy method repeatedly demonstrates the carelessness of the operatives on the ground, leading to the exposure of their handlers in Iran,” the Mossad said.
The agency said the network was uncovered in cooperation with the Shin Bet security agency and foreign intelligence services.
This is not the first time Israel has claimed to have foiled such a plot by Iran. In April, the Mossad and Shin Bet announced that they had exposed an Iranian cell targeting Israeli officials and assets around the world. At the time, the agencies said senior operatives in that network had been killed during the American-Israeli war against Iran.
While it is natural for Iran to expand its intelligence operations against Israel, the latest claims remain unverified — and may be intended to provide a pretext for renewing the conflict with the Islamic Republic.
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