<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Before </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/israel" rel="" target="" title="Israel"><span>Israel</span></a><span> launched an </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/explosions-ring-out-across-irans-capital-as-israel-claims-it-is-attacking-the-country/49e40c56-6e92-46ca-8d1c-b4edef51d5a2" rel="" target="" title="unprecedented wave of strikes against Iran's nuclear facilities and top military leaders this week"><span>unprecedented wave of strikes against Iran's nuclear facilities and top military leaders this week</span></a><span>, its spies were already on the ground in enemy territory.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Israeli intelligence agency Mossad had smuggled weapons into </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/iran" rel="" target="" title="Iran"><span>Iran</span></a><span> ahead of the strikes, according to Israeli security officials, and would use the weapons to target Iran's defence from within.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The officials said Israel established a base for launching explosive drones inside Iran, and the drones were later used to target missile launchers near Tehran.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/australian-killed-another-injured-in-bali-villa-shooting-incident/31959225-8263-4e12-82de-49fb7c7991b0"><strong><span>Australian killed, another injured in Bali villa shooting incident</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Precision weapons were also smuggled in and used to target surface-to-air missile systems, clearing the way for Israel's Air Force to carry out more than 100 strikes with upward of 200 aircraft in the early hours of Friday local time.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The plan to disable Iranian defences seems to have been effective; Israel said all of its aircraft returned safely from the first waves of strikes, appearing to show Israeli air superiority over parts of a country hundreds of miles away.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Intelligence gathered by the Mossad in Iran also gave Israel's air force the ability to target senior Iranian commanders and scientists.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/israels-unprecedented-attack-shows-iran-has-become-a-playground-for-the-mossad/54ad2d21-0b4c-4b65-8edf-c893d82a103f" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/israel-iran-strikes-israel-launch-fresh-wave-of-strikes/7b3d625a-2634-401f-8d1c-4f4736b76115" rel="" target="" title="Death toll rises as Iran launches attacks on Israel"><strong><span>Death toll rises as Iran launches attacks on Israel</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In an incredibly rare move, the Mossad released video from some of its operations, showing drones attacking what appear to be unsuspecting missile launchers.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It is the latest operation to show how deeply Israel's intelligence services, including the Mossad, have penetrated some of Iran's most closely guarded secrets.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The operations have made the Mossad appear a nearly unstoppable force in Iran, capable of hitting at some of its highest-ranking officials and most sensitive sites.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Mossad has treated Iran like its playground for years now," said Holly Dagres, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute and curator of the Iranist newsletter.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"From assassinating top nuclear scientists to sabotaging Iranian nuclear facilities, Israel has proved time and time again that it has always had the upper hand in this shadow war that has now been playing out in the open since the first tit-for-tat strikes in April 2024."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>An Israeli security source said the latest operation required commando forces operating deep within Tehran and across the country while avoiding detection from Iran's security and intelligence agencies.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The source said Mossad teams targeted air defence missiles, ballistic missiles, and missile launchers as the attack from the Israeli Air Force began.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A second Israeli security source said the Mossad operations were years in the making, involving both intelligence-gathering efforts and the deployment of Mossad commandos deep behind enemy lines.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Some of the Mossad commando forces operated in the Iranian capital itself, according to the security source.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In addition to the drone base established by the Mossad long before Wednesday's attack, Mossad commandos deployed "precision-guided weapons systems" near Iranian missile air defence systems, which were activated at the same time as the Israeli air force began striking its targets.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A second operation deployed sophisticated vehicle-mounted weaponry to target other Iranian defence systems.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Mossad operation also involved assassinations of top Iranian officials.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Israel has shown – flaunted even – the Mossad's ability to operate with near impunity in Iran in the past.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Starting in the early-2010s, Iran accused Israel of carrying out a campaign of assassinations against the country's nuclear scientists.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/sole-survivor-air-india-plane-crash-vishwash-kumar-ramesh-speaks-of-his-survival/70d80693-dbc6-4736-b710-b8dd0862ca04"><strong><span>A miracle in seat 11A: Sole survivor of Air India crash speaks</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Former Defence Minister Moshe Ya'alon tacitly acknowledged the targeted killings when he said in 2015 that Israel cannot be held responsible "for the life expectancy of Iran's nuclear scientists."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>From 2007 to 2012 Israel allegedly carried out five covert assassinations, nearly all in Tehran, through remote-controlled bombings, or remote-controlled machine guns.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Only one of Iran's key nuclear scientists survived the assassination attempt, Fereydoon Abbasi.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Just last month, Abbasi told Iranian state media that any attack on production sites would have little impact on the timeline of developing a bomb, saying, "our capabilities are spread all over the country.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>If they target production sites, it will be inconsequential to our timetable, because our nuclear materials are not stored above ground for them to hit."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Abbasi was one of the scientists killed in Israel's early morning attack in Tehran.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Mossad's actions soon became much more public.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In early-2018, Israel stole Iran's nuclear archive from Tehran, displaying the intelligence coup in a live broadcast from Jerusalem.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Speaking in English, Netanyahu showed off the archive, including what he said were copies of 55,000 pages of Iranian nuclear information and a display of discs he said were 55,000 files.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/investigators-search-the-air-india-crash-site-for-evidence-and-more-victims/9eea3d7a-f7c6-426f-8555-e895f3622d5d" rel="" target="" title="Black box recovered as investigations continue into Air India crash"><strong><span>Black box recovered as investigations continue into Air India crash</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Iran tried to dismiss Netanyahu's comments as "childish" and "laughable," but the plundering of the archive showed the confidence Israel had in the Mossad's ability to function in Tehran.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The operation, which would have required extensive planning and an intimate knowledge of the archive's location and security, pushed the first Trump administration to withdraw from the original nuclear agreement with Iran, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Israel wasn't done yet.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In November 2020, Israel assassinated Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, Iran's chief nuclear scientist, while he was in a bulletproof car travelling with his wife.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Fakhrizadeh's car was moving in a convoy with three security vehicles when he came under fire.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Iranian state media said a remote-controlled machine gun opened fire on the nuclear scientist, who had been a long-time target for Israel.</span></div></div><div class="styles__Wrapper-sc-2o34ro-0 cmwkBV"><div class="styles__Column-sc-2o34ro-3 jJDKrX"><a href="/content/2023/10/27/09/19/israel-hamas-update-satelite-images-show-extent-of-gaza-damage-from-israel-airstrikes"><img alt="" sizes="(min-width: 1024px) 636px, (min-width: 768px) 396px, 100vw" src="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/gjGL7xbMuRoq7REsGah5uXvfZRs=/396x223/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2Fde569117-e4c4-4b40-8269-f4dc8b645eca" srcset="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/gjGL7xbMuRoq7REsGah5uXvfZRs=/396x223/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2Fde569117-e4c4-4b40-8269-f4dc8b645eca 396w, https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/fAT-nREWxlAWws-6CElAoiAT7g8=/636x358/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2Fde569117-e4c4-4b40-8269-f4dc8b645eca 636w"/></a></div><div class="styles__Column-sc-2o34ro-3 jJDKrX"><div class="styles__Headline-sc-2o34ro-4 hpbOlz">Before and after: Satelite images show Gaza damage</div><div class="styles__Button-sc-2o34ro-1 eBjlmW"><a class="styles__ButtonLink-sc-2o34ro-2 hqpklJ" href="/content/2023/10/27/09/19/israel-hamas-update-satelite-images-show-extent-of-gaza-damage-from-israel-airstrikes">View Gallery</a></div></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The operation, which Israel has not publicly acknowledged, was carried out with remarkable precision, and it displayed a deep knowledge of Fakhrizadeh's pattern of life.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>And yet despite its repeated inability to stop the Mossad, Iran has proven incapable of improving.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Ram Ben Barak, the former deputy director of the Mossad, said the organisation's continued success is "due to a very, very disliked regime, even hated by most of the public, so this allows for intelligence penetration on one hand, and on the other, you have the sophistication and professionalism of the Israeli intelligence personnel."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>After the start of the war in Gaza, Israel assassinated Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in the heart of Tehran.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A source familiar with the matter said Israel planted an explosive device in a guest house where Haniyeh was known to stay.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The bomb was concealed in the room for two months before the targeted killing and detonated remotely once Haniyeh was in the room.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD 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