The Israeli Mossad announced in an official statement that it foiled a plan by Iranian intelligence to establish an operational cell of foreign nationals inside Israel aimed at targeting senior Israeli figures.

The agency stressed that this thwarting resulted from close intelligence cooperation with international agencies, noting that Iranian intelligence relies on a 'proxy-by-proxy' method, recruiting intermediary criminal organizations to carry out operations without a direct footprint, in an effort to avoid political repercussions.

Mossad revealed that a person named Terut Ozkur, known as 'Philip,' a resident of France, was responsible for recruiting the operational cell and bringing it into Israel. He was recruited by two agents currently residing in Iran under the auspices of Iranian intelligence: Baba Mahmoud Zadeh Haji Jafan, nicknamed 'Babak,' and Mahmoud Nadim Yit, nicknamed 'Nadim.'

The agency noted that these two agents have documented ties to drug trafficker Naji Sharifi Zandashiti, who has been working for years to finance terrorism under the direction of Iranian intelligence. 'Philip' visited Iran several times, where he met with his handlers and received sums of money in exchange for carrying out the tasks assigned to him.

As part of international investigations, the ties of 'Babak' and 'Nadim' to Iranian intelligence officers were revealed: Assadollah Behzad Owsari, Vahid Mazumi, Mohammad Hossein Doki, and Hamid Ghasemi. Mossad noted that Behzad Owsari played a central role in targeting Jewish and Israeli sites, and was eliminated during Operation 'Roar of the Lion.'

As for 'Philip,' he was expelled from France for his involvement in planning terrorist activities directed by Iran, while 'Babak' and 'Nadim' continue to run their cells from inside Iran, and are under constant monitoring by international intelligence agencies.

Mossad explained that the proxy espionage method repeatedly proves the negligence of field operatives, ultimately leading to the exposure of agents in Iran. The agency affirmed that Mossad and Shin Bet will continue to work with their international partners to uncover terrorist and espionage activities against Israeli and Jewish interests, and bring all those involved to justice.

In a broader context, the agency indicated that Iranian intelligence, in cooperation with the Revolutionary Guards, has been waging a global campaign targeting Israeli and Jewish sites for years, and has recently intensified its efforts to carry out attacks inside Israel. It stressed that international intelligence cooperation has resulted in the foiling of dozens of Iranian terrorist attacks in recent years.