Secret drones, smuggled missiles: How Israel attacked Iran
Israeli spies smuggled missiles and secretly hid explosive drones deep inside Iran in a series of covert operations leading up to Friday's deadly onslaught – before tricking military leaders into gathering for a meeting so they could be wiped out.
Intelligence agents with Mossad, Israel's top spy agency, started infiltrating the heart of Iran several months back in order to pull off the surprise attack aimed at obliterating Iranian nuclear and military facilities, as well as a swath of top military commanders.
An explosion from an Israeli air strike on Iran during Operation Rising Lion. Picture: IDF
The spy agency planted the explosive drones inside Iran ahead of time as they laid the groundwork for the major strikes, according to Israeli security sources.
Agents also managed to smuggle precision weapons into central Iran so Israel could target Tehran's defences from within.
The stealth campaign, dubbed Operation Rising Lion, was eventually conducted in three separate operations early Friday local time – with the airstrikes each targeting specific weaponry and defence systems in Iran, one Israeli security source told The New York Post.
Commando units deployed precision-guided weapons near Iran's surface-to-air missile defences and targeted the Iranian systems.
Damage at Iran's Natanz nuclear facility. Picture: Airbus defence and space
A second operation set up strike systems and mounted technology onto vehicles that were launched at Iranian air defence systems.
The final operation targeted Iran's surface-to-surface missile launchers at a base outside of Tehran when the explosive-laden drones were activated.
The unmanned aerial vehicles flew to the base and destroyed the launchers that had 'posed a threat to Israeli strategic and civilian targets.'
The sabotage operations allowed Israel's airstrikes to destroy radars and other surface-to-air defences. Nuclear plants and uranium enrichment facilities were also targeted.
The damaged Natanz nuclear facility in Iran in the aftermath of the Israeli attack. Picture: Airbus defence and space
Roughly 200 aircraft were involved in the initial attack on about 100 targets, Israel's military said.
The attack hit several sites, including Iran's main nuclear enrichment facility at Natanz, where black smoke could be seen rising into the air. Later in the morning, Israel said it had also destroyed dozens of radar installations and surface-to-air missile launchers in western Iran.
Several high-ranking Iranian officials were killed in the strikes – including Gen. Hossein Salami, the head of Iran's Revolutionary Guard; Mohammad Bagheri, chief of the country's military; Gholam Ali Rashid, head of Iran's emergency command; and Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the head of the Revolutionary Guards aerospace force.
Israel was able to trick some top commanders of Iran's air force into gathering for a meeting before they were targeted, an Israeli official told Fox News.
Satellite images confirm significant damage at Iran's Natanz nuclear facility after Israeli strikes during Operation Rising Lion. Picture: Airbus defence and space
'We carried out specific activities to help us learn more about them, and then used that information to influence their behaviour,' the official said.
'We knew this would lead them to meet — but more importantly, we knew how to keep them there.'
It wasn't immediately clear how Israel managed to lure the Iranian officials together.
'Significant intelligence was gathered and surveillance was conducted to incriminate senior members of the Iranian defence establishment and nuclear scientists who were eliminated,' a source told The New York Post.
'This was carried out alongside a covert operational campaign targeting Iran's strategic missile array.'
The unprecedented strikes appeared to be the most significant attack Iran has faced since its 1980s war with Iraq.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the operation, saying the effort was to 'roll back' Iran's threat to Israel's 'very survival.'
'If we don't act now, we simply won't be here. We have internalised the lessons of history. When an enemy says he intends to destroy you — believe him,' he said.
'When the enemy develops the capabilities to destroy you — stop him.'
Iran quickly called the barrage of strikes a 'declaration of war,' as Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned of 'severe punishment' and President Masoud Pezeshkian vowed to make 'Israel regret its foolish act.'
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