Israeli intelligence agencies have uncovered and foiled an Iranian plot to smuggle a terrorist cell into Israel to assassinate senior government officials, according to a Mossad announcement made Thursday. The operation was disrupted through a joint effort involving the Mossad, the Shin Bet, and multiple foreign intelligence services.

The Mossad said the attempted operation was orchestrated by Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence, which sought to establish an operational terror cell inside Israel that would ultimately carry out assassinations of high-ranking Israeli officials.

According to a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office, the plot was stopped through close cooperation between the Mossad, the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), and intelligence and security agencies from several allied countries.

The Mossad said Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence, together with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has spent years directing a worldwide terror campaign against Israeli and Jewish targets. The agency noted that those efforts have intensified in recent months, with an increased focus on carrying out attacks within Israel itself.

The intelligence agency further revealed that dozens of terror cells tied to Iran have been dismantled in recent years. It also said investigators have uncovered multiple attempts over the past two years by the Iranian regime to recruit Israeli citizens to perform missions on its behalf.

According to the statement, the terror scheme depended on criminal proxy organizations that recruited individuals who could legally enter Israel, initially to collect intelligence and later to carry out terrorist attacks. International intelligence cooperation ultimately exposed both the network itself and the Iranian intelligence officers directing the operation.

The Mossad identified Thérot Ozkor, who used the alias “Philip” and had been residing in France, as the individual chosen to establish the operational terror cell made up of foreign nationals and facilitate its infiltration into Israel. According to the agency, he was recruited by two criminal intermediaries—Baba Mahu-Zadeh Haji Jafan, known as “Babak,” and Mahmat Nadim Yiğit, known as “Nadim”—both of whom live in Iran and operate under the supervision of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence.

Investigators determined that “Philip” traveled to Iran on several occasions, where he met directly with his handlers and was paid for advancing the operation. International intelligence efforts also traced Babak and Nadim to senior officials within Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence, identifying their handlers as Asadollah Behzad Oskhari, Vahid Matzoumi, Mohammad-Hossein Zoghi, and Hamid Ghasemi.

According to the Mossad, Behzad Oskhari was a key figure in directing Iranian terrorist operations against Israeli and Jewish targets worldwide. The agency said he was killed during Operation Rising Lion.

The statement also disclosed that French authorities expelled “Philip” because of his involvement in planning the terrorist operation. Meanwhile, Babak and Nadim remain in Iran and continue to be sought by intelligence agencies around the world.

The Mossad and Shin Bet concluded by reaffirming their commitment to working alongside international partners to identify and prevent terrorist and espionage operations targeting Israeli and Jewish interests, both inside Israel and abroad, while pursuing all those responsible.

{Matzav.com}