Israel has long maintained a clandestine strategy to thwart Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and halt its nuclear development, deploying covert methods that include assassinations, cyberattacks, and infrastructure sabotage. Over the years, Israel has either been accused of or has admitted to a series of high-profile operations targeting key figures and facilities tied to Iran’s military and nuclear ambitions.
Israeli forces have been blamed for the targeted killings of senior IRGC members, particularly outside Iran’s borders. The most recent strike occurred on September 27, 2024, when an Israeli airstrike killed an Iranian general who was with Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut. In another strike on April 1, 2024, Israel reportedly hit an Iranian consular building in Damascus, resulting in the deaths of seven IRGC members, including two senior officials.
Past incidents have further underscored Israel’s approach: In May 2022, IRGC commander Sayyad Khodaei was gunned down in Tehran in an attack attributed to Israeli operatives, while IRGC General Hassan Moghadam died in a 2011 munitions depot explosion near Tehran. The IRGC’s Quds Force, responsible for external operations, has particularly been a focus.
Iran’s Nuclear Program
Israel has also allegedly targeted Iranian nuclear scientists and installations, aiming to disrupt the country’s nuclear advancements. Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, a top nuclear physicist and a defense vice minister, was assassinated in 2020, with Israel suspected of orchestrating the killing. Additional scientists linked to Iran’s nuclear program, such as Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan and Majid Shahriari, also met similar fates.
Israel’s focus extends beyond assassinations to alleged acts of sabotage within Iran’s nuclear facilities. In April 2021, an explosion reportedly took out the electrical system at Natanz, a key uranium enrichment site. Similarly, a cyberattack involving the Stuxnet virus in 2010 targeted Natanz’s centrifuges, a cyber operation believed to be coordinated by Israel and the U.S.
Iranian allies have also found themselves vulnerable to Israeli operations. Most recently, Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in Tehran in an attack attributed to Israel, reportedly while attending an inauguration event for Iran’s new president.
In 2019, Israel allegedly initiated a naval campaign targeting oil shipments between Iran and Syria, deploying underwater mines to disrupt Iranian oil transport. Throughout 2021, Israel and Iran exchanged accusations over naval attacks on each other’s vessels, a reflection of escalating maritime tensions.
Israel’s multi-pronged strategy underscores its enduring commitment to curb Iran’s regional influence and nuclear capabilities, frequently deploying covert operations and calculated strikes to achieve its security objectives.
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