Israeli Scenario Targets Assassination of 4 Security Leaders in Tehran

A former official from Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency revealed that Israel possesses the intelligence and operational capabilities to carry out a surprise operation against senior leaders of the Iranian regime, similar to the pager explosion operation that targeted Hezbollah.

Channel 14 quoted Oded Eylon, former deputy head of the Global Operations Department at the Mossad, stating that four military and security leaders effectively control Iran, while the political leadership serves merely as a facade.

In an interview with the New York Post, he said that executing an operation against Iran’s key leaders, akin to the pager attack carried out by Hezbollah operatives, remains one of the options under consideration.

He added, “This is the essence and foundation of Israeli strategy: sudden shifts and unexpected moves. I am completely confident that Israel holds hidden cards that it will use.”

Eylon recalled the operation carried out by Israel on September 17 and 18, 2024, when thousands of wireless communication devices and pagers used by Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon and Syria exploded simultaneously, killing dozens, injuring thousands, and paralyzing the group’s command structure.

He clarified that Israel has been planning deception and surprise operations against targets inside Iran for years.

Eylon continued, “Israel will leverage its intelligence capabilities and its ability to create surprise and shift the balance of power in ways that cannot be predicted in advance.”

Among Eylon’s key assessments was the view that Iran’s civil and political institutions lack real authority, and that actual decisions are made by a small group comprising four senior officials from the military and intelligence establishments.

The commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), who represents the main force responsible for the violent suppression of protests and public demonstrations inside Iran last January.

Abdollahi adopts a highly escalatory stance toward the United States and has directly threatened countries that might cooperate with Washington, warning they would face strikes during wartime.

The report notes that an international arrest warrant has been issued by Interpol against him, following allegations of his involvement in planning the 1994 bombing of the Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, which killed 85 people.

According to Eylon’s statements, the four leaders not only determine Iran’s military policy but have also consistently worked to thwart attempts by Tehran’s political leadership to reach an agreement with the United States.

Eylon stated that this trend caused significant internal confusion in Tehran in February.

The IRGC issued orders to re-close the Strait of Hormuz shortly after Araghchi announced its reopening following understandings reached with the United States.

He explained, “In February, the Iranians violated the agreement they had reached themselves. Araghchi was completely caught off guard and did not understand the logic behind breaking the agreement that had been reached.”

Despite their presumed control over Iranian decision-making, Eylon emphasized deep disagreements among the four military leaders themselves, noting that these divisions have worsened due to tightened sanctions and naval blockades.

He said, “They are not on the same page. We see frequent clashes within the system, differing approaches, and agreements followed by immediate reversals.”

Eylon believes that the main advantage of carrying out a precise intelligence operation targeting senior Iranian security officials lies in its psychological impact, which could paralyze the rest of the regime’s institutions.

He suggested that the shock resulting from an operation of this kind would be more impactful than a large-scale ground invasion, adding that “the impact is immense, particularly on the enemy’s psychological state.” He continued, “Imagine that after the attack, a conversation takes place inside one of the bunkers among senior officials of the Iranian regime, and everyone begins looking left and right, with each one believing that the person sitting next to him is a spy.”