The Mossad announced today (Thursday) that it has foiled an attempt by Iran's Ministry of Intelligence to infiltrate an operational terrorist cell into Israel with the aim of assassinating senior Israeli officials.
According to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office, the operation was thwarted through cooperation between the Mossad, the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), and intelligence and security services from several foreign countries.
The Mossad said that in recent years, Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have led a global terror campaign targeting Israeli and Jewish interests. In recent months, they have intensified efforts to carry out attacks inside Israel.
The agency added that dozens of Iranian-linked terror networks have been disrupted in recent years and that, over the past two years, authorities have also uncovered attempts to recruit Israeli citizens to carry out missions on behalf of the Iranian regime.
According to the statement, the operation relied on criminal proxy networks that recruited individuals capable of entering Israel to gather intelligence and later carry out terrorist attacks. International cooperation exposed both the operational infrastructure and the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence officers directing it.
The Mossad identified Thérot Ozkor, known by the alias "Philip," who had been living in France, as the individual recruited to establish an operational cell composed of foreign nationals and infiltrate it into Israel. According to the statement, he was recruited by two criminal proxies-Baba Mahu-Zadeh Haji Jafan ("Babak") and Mahmat Nadim Yiğit ("Nadim")-who reside in Iran and operate under the direction of Iran's Ministry of Intelligence.
The statement added that "Philip" traveled to Iran several times, where he met with his handlers and received payment for advancing the operation. International investigations also uncovered links between Babak and Nadim and their handlers within the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence, who were identified as Asadollah Behzad Oskhari, Vahid Matzoumi, Mohammad-Hossein Zoghi, and Hamid Ghasemi.
According to the Mossad, Behzad Oskhari played a central role in the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence's efforts to carry out terrorist attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets and was killed during Operation Rising Lion.
The statement also noted that "Philip" was expelled from France because of his involvement in planning the terrorist operation, while Babak and Nadim continue to operate from Iran and remain persons of interest to intelligence agencies around the world.
The Mossad and Shin Bet stressed that they will continue working with international partners to detect and thwart terrorism and espionage targeting Israeli and Jewish interests, both in Israel and abroad, and to bring all those involved to justice.
