Israel Hayom: Mossad focused on regime change in Iran after the 12-day war
The Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom, citing Mossad sources, claimed that the organization has redesigned its structure in recent years to expand infiltration operations in Iran and has focused more on weakening the Islamic Republic’s government after the recent war.
According to this report, during David Barnea’s leadership of Mossad, new units were created to recruit and train non-Israeli forces and to carry out infiltration and influence operations in the media space and public opinion.
Israel Hayom also claimed that some of the recruited forces in Iran played a role in disrupting Iran’s air defense during the 12-day war.
The newspaper writes that another branch of Mossad was tasked with monitoring public opinion, engaging in social media, disseminating information, and conducting psychological influence operations.
According to the newspaper’s sources, after the recent war, an assessment emerged in Israel that the Iranian government had become more vulnerable, and that with a combination of military pressure, infiltration operations, and influencing public opinion, conditions could be created for political changes.
The report also claims that at one point, Mossad focused on discontented youth, opponents of the Islamic Republic, and supporters of Reza Pahlavi, closely monitoring internal developments in Iran and receiving support from U.S. intelligence agencies in this process.
Officials of the Islamic Republic have not yet responded to this report.