A report by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) sheds light on the covert drone operation Israel launched inside Iran ahead of its Friday airstrikes, revealing how Israeli intelligence laid the groundwork for the assault on Tehran’s nuclear and military infrastructure.
According to the WSJ, Israel spent months smuggling parts for explosive-laden quadcopters into Iran via suitcases, trucks, and shipping containers. These drones were later used by small, armed Israeli teams operating near Iranian air-defense systems and missile launch sites. As Israel's F-35 fighter jets began bombing key targets in Tehran, these ground units neutralized air-defense emplacements and destroyed Iranian missile launchers as they emerged from shelters.
The Mossad reportedly orchestrated the campaign, targeting sites where Iranian missiles were stored and preemptively striking dozens of launch trucks.
The Israeli air force, according to its spokesperson, deployed 70 fighter jets over Tehran, spending more than two hours in Iranian airspace in what it described as its deepest operation yet inside the country.
The WSJ also highlights Mossad’s broader activities, including past attacks on Iranian weapons facilities and high-profile figures. These operations, the report notes, aim not only to cause physical damage but also to unsettle Iranian leadership by demonstrating the extent of Israeli infiltration.
Iranian intelligence sources, meanwhile, warned civilians to be alert to the use of commercial vehicles - like pickups and cargo trucks - for launching Israeli drones, a tactic reminiscent of recent Ukrainian drone operations against Russia.
The full WSJ report underscores how relatively low-tech methods, combined with high-level intelligence, are reshaping modern warfare and putting even well-defended states at risk.
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