Covert Drone Base, Smuggled Weapons: Inside Mossad’s Secret Ops In Iran Before Israeli Strikes

Last Updated:June 13, 2025, 16:12 IST

The Israeli agency reportedly smuggled precision weapons into central Iran and hid them near key defence systems

Rescue teams work outside a heavily damaged building, targeted by an Israeli strike in the Iranian capital Tehran on June 13. (AFP photo)

Israeli security officials on Friday said that the Mossad spy agency smuggled weapons and set up a covert drone base inside Iran ahead of Friday’s powerful airstrikes on key military and nuclear sites. The strikes, part of what Israel has called Operation Rising Lion, have dealt a serious blow to Iran’s military leadership.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to the Associated Press, said that Mossad successfully smuggled precision weapons into central Iran and hid them near key defence systems. These included surface-to-air missile batteries. The weapons were activated just as the Israeli strikes began, helping disable Iran’s defences from within.

In addition, the Israeli agency reportedly established a hidden base within Iran to launch explosive-laden drones. During Friday’s assault, these drones were used to hit missile launchers near Tehran, according tot the officials.

Friday’s strikes killed several of Iran’s top military and security figures. Among them were Major General Hossein Salami, the commander of the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and Major General Mohammad Bagheri, the chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces. Also killed was Ali Shamkhani, a senior adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and a key diplomatic figure.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that one of the main targets was Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility, calling it as the “heart of Iran’s nuclear enrichment programme." Iran later confirmed the site had suffered damage.

This attack marks one of the most serious escalations in West Asia in recent years, with analysts calling it a significant blow to Tehran’s defence structure. Iran responded by launching around 100 drones toward Israel in retaliation, according to the Israeli military, which said it was working to intercept them.

ALSO READ: Iran’s Khamenei Names New Top Brass After High-Rank Officials Killed In Israeli Airstrikes

(With inputs from AP)

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