The Wall Street Journal has revealed new details about the covert operation carried out by Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency at the onset of the recent surprise attack on Iranian territory, which began last Friday.
According to insider sources, Israel had been smuggling explosive-laden drone components into Iran for months before the attack. These components, along with additional ammunition, were hidden in suitcases, trucks, and even oil tankers to bypass security checks.
How the Operation Unfolded
The report explains that Mossad agents infiltrated Iran using commercial channels, where local operatives assembled the drones and distributed them to special units responsible for launching the coordinated assault on Friday, 13 June.
The drone teams had received extensive training in a third-party country, after which they trained local operatives on the ground inside Iran. Once activated, small units equipped with drones positioned themselves near Iranian air defence systems and missile launch sites.
As the Israeli assault began:
- Some teams disrupted Iran’s air defence systems
- Others targeted missile platforms intended for retaliatory launches
The report also indicates that dozens of transport trucks used to move missiles to launch sites were attacked during the initial wave — a factor that may explain Iran’s limited response to the first Israeli strike.
Drones as a “Cheap Innovation” in Warfare
The Wall Street Journal described Israel’s use of drones as a cost-effective and innovative tactic aimed at blunting Iran’s retaliatory capabilities. This strategy mirrored Ukrainian military tactics, where Kyiv recently used smuggled drones to strike dozens of Russian fighter jets.
By deploying these drones early, Mossad reportedly neutralised potential threats to Israeli warplanes and destroyed several Iranian missiles before they could be launched toward Tel Aviv.
The report added that the field teams hit dozens of missiles that were intended for use in the early hours of Iran’s response campaign.
Iran’s Response and the Limits of Deterrence
Despite these preemptive attacks, Iran ultimately launched approximately 200 missiles in four separate waves on Friday evening and Saturday morning, causing widespread damage and casualties across occupied territories.
However, Israeli officials were expecting a much harsher retaliation, indicating that the Israeli regime had anticipated this confrontation for years and had developed a long-standing Mossad strategy tailored for such a scenario.
The Israeli intelligence service, according to the paper, had prior knowledge of where Iran stores its missile arsenal, and strategically placed its operatives on the ground in preparation for this high-stakes operation.
Operation “Rising Lion”: A Calculated Escalation
The Israeli military officially named the campaign “Operation Rising Lion”, launching its opening salvo on Friday. The initial strikes reportedly targeted a significant number of Iranian military commanders, intelligence officials, and nuclear scientists.
This calculated escalation by the Israeli occupation — especially targeting Iran’s scientific and military leadership — marks a dangerous phase in the broader regional conflict, further validating fears of a full-scale regional war.
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Strategic Implications
This latest Mossad operation underscores the depth of Israel’s espionage inside Iran, and its increasing reliance on covert warfare, sabotage, and assassinations to preempt any threats to its military superiority.
But it also exposes the fragility of regional stability, as such actions push the region ever closer to an uncontrollable spiral of retaliations, with civilian populations across both Iran and occupied Palestine caught in the crossfire.
