Axios: Mossad sabotage complements air raids in Israel’s boldest move against Tehran

Israel’s overnight assault on Iran extended beyond aerial bombardment, as the country also conducted a series of covert sabotage operations targeting critical military infrastructure deep inside Iranian territory.

According to Axios journalist Barak Ravid, who cited a senior Israeli official, the attacks aimed to damage Iran’s missile facilities and air defence systems.

“Alongside extensive airstrikes by the Israeli Air Force, the Mossad led a series of covert sabotage operations deep inside Iran. These operations were aimed at damaging Iran’s strategic missile sites and its air defence capabilities,” Ravid wrote on his X (formerly Twitter) account, per Caliber.Az.

During the night and into the morning of June 13, Israel launched at least five airstrikes using its Air Force, hitting multiple targets inside Iran. The Israeli military later confirmed it had struck dozens of sites tied to Iran’s nuclear program and military infrastructure.

The strikes reportedly focused on a range of strategic locations across major Iranian cities, including Tehran, Isfahan, Arak, Tabriz, and Kermanshah. Significant damage was reported at the Natanz nuclear facility and along the Tehran–Isfahan highway. As missiles hit more than a dozen sites, the operation delivered a serious blow to Tehran’s nuclear and military capabilities.

Among those killed in the strikes was Major General Mohammad Bagheri, the Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces. General Hossein Salami, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was also confirmed dead, with the IRGC officially acknowledging his death.

Further reports confirmed the death of Ali Shamkhani, Iran’s former national security chief. Other high-ranking Iranian military and scientific officials were also reportedly killed, including Gholamali Rashid, Commander of the Central Headquarters of “Khatam al-Anbiya”; Fereydoun Abbasi, a nuclear scientist and former head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran; and Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, a key nuclear program expert.

In response to the Israeli operation, Iran launched more than 100 drones toward Israel within hours of the assault, sharply escalating the confrontation and raising fears of a broader regional conflict.

By Tamilla Hasanova