According to Israeli security sources speaking anonymously due to the operation’s sensitive nature, Mossad agents infiltrated Iran to sabotage weapons systems as part of a coordinated strike on Iranian nuclear and military sites on June 13, 2025. One official revealed that Israel deliberately misled observers about the timing of the attack. The sources highlighted the extensive and secretive preparations leading up to the action, which caused oil prices to surge due to fears of escalating regional conflict.
*Reuters* was unable to independently confirm these accounts.
Prior to the assault, Iranian officials dismissed the possibility of imminent action, characterizing talk of strikes as mere “psychological pressure” intended to influence upcoming US-Iranian nuclear negotiations. Iran has denounced the attacks, described by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi as “unlawful and cowardly,” and vowed a strong response. They have not yet provided a detailed account of the damage. The Iranian mission to the UN has not responded to requests for comment.
Israel created the impression that it was focused on diplomatic efforts and a potential nuclear deal with Iran, even suggesting that its intelligence chief would visit Washington before the next round of negotiations. However, Israel reportedly launched a large-scale air strike involving 200 warplanes against Iranian targets before dawn on Friday. The strikes targeted nuclear facilities, missile factories, and resulted in the deaths of military commanders and nuclear scientists. Israel asserted that this operation was a culmination of years-long efforts to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. Iran maintains its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.
The Israeli security sources indicated that the military and Mossad spent years gathering the necessary intelligence. They also claimed that Mossad commandos covertly deployed weapons, including explosive drones targeting a missile base near Tehran, within Iran. The commandos also used precision-guided weapons to neutralize Iranian air defense systems as the air strikes commenced.
A grainy video purportedly released by Mossad showed two camouflaged figures in a desert setting deploying the precision weapons system designed to cripple Iran’s air defenses. Sima Shine, a former Mossad analyst, stated that some components of the operation had taken years to prepare.
According to an Israeli defense official, the decision to launch the strike was made on Monday, coinciding with a phone call between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then US President Donald Trump. Netanyahu, Defence Minister Israel Katz, and military chief Eyal Zamir reportedly finalized the decision for a Friday operation after this conversation. Another source close to Netanyahu corroborated this timeline.
In the days leading up to the strikes, Israel engaged in a deliberate deception, according to another Israeli official, including allowing false reports of a rift between Israel and the US during the call between Netanyahu and Trump to circulate without denial. A press release about a visit by Katz, Zamir, and the Air Force chief to an air force base focused on Gaza, Yemen, and Lebanon, conspicuously omitting any mention of Iran.
This official said that press briefings contained misleading information as part of the ruse. As the attack began, some Israeli journalists pointed to a briefing indicating that Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and Mossad Head David Barnea were to be sent to Washington ahead of nuclear talks. Dermer was later seen with Netanyahu at Israel’s defence headquarters in Tel Aviv, in a video released by the prime minister’s office.
A final, military source noted that while Israel had achieved surprise, the operation was not yet complete and “difficult days” could lie ahead.
Iran has threatened a “harsh punishment” in response to the attack, after having previously fired ballistic missiles at Israel during a conflict last year. Israel claimed to have intercepted many of the 100 drones launched toward Israeli territory in retaliation.
