Mossad says it foiled Iranian plot to infiltrate Israel, attack senior officials

Working with foreign intelligence services, Israel foiled an Iranian plot to send operatives into Israel to harm senior Israeli officials, says the Mossad intelligence agency in a statement.

The effort, led by Iran’s Intelligence Ministry, involved turning to criminal organizations, who would in turn recruit people inside of Israel or who could enter Israel for gathering intelligence on a target, then carrying out an attack.

Two criminals living in Iran under the protection of the Intelligence Ministry — Baba Mahuzadeh Haji Jafan, also known as ‘Babak’; and Mehmet Nadim Ya’it, also known as ‘Nadim’ — recruited Turut Ozkor, a criminal living in France who went by the nickname ‘Philip.’

The handlers of Babak and Nadim in the Iranian Intelligence Ministry are named by the Mossad as Asadollah Behzad Oskhari, Vahid Matzoumi, Mohammad-Hossein Zoghi, and Hamid Qasemi.

Oskhari was killed in Israel’s 12-day bombing campaign against Iran in 2025, and was a key figure in plots to attack Jewish and Israeli targets worldwide, says the Mossad.

Philip was tasked with recruiting a cell of foreign nationals who would enter Israel, says the Mossad.

He traveled to Iran on several occasions to meet handlers and be paid, according to the statement.

Philip was expelled by France, while Babak and Nadim remain in Iran.

“Despite the attempt to avoid an Iranian fingerprint, the proxy method repeatedly demonstrates the carelessness of the operatives on the ground, leading to the exposure of their handlers in Iran,” says the Mossad.

The Mossad worked with Shin Bet and foreign intelligence agencies to uncover the network, says the statement.

Numerous Iranian attempts to direct terror attacks inside Israel in the past two years have been foiled, according to the Mossad.