Operations in the decadeslong secret war between Iran and Israel have shifted fundamentally in recent years, moving from being the exclusive work of Mossad field agents to Iranian dissident insiders and others from neighboring countries.

by Yossi Melman and Dan Raviv for ProPublica
Aug. 7, 2025, 5 a.m. EDT

[fascinating article]

Reporting Highlights

  • Covert Ops: Commandos that the Mossad, Israel’s intelligence service, recruited from Iran and neighboring nations destroyed Iranian air defenses in the first hours of a June attack.
  • Intelligence Gathering: Israeli operatives identified the bedrooms in which Iranian nuclear scientists were sleeping, enabling precise airstrikes.
  • Cyber Deception: Israel sent a fake message that summoned senior Iranian military leaders to a phantom meeting in a bunker that was then bombed by Israeli jets.

These highlights were written by the reporters and editors who worked on this story.