By Robert Inlakesh

As a suspected second round of the Iran-Israel battle appears to be just around the corner, the question of infiltration is a key one. 

A recent documentary aired on Iranian State TV has revealed what it claims to be documents about some 189 Israeli nuclear scientists and specialists, also broadcasting footage reportedly inside Israel’s Dimona Nuclear facility.

This is said to be part of the information obtained from various infiltration operations conducted by Iran, sparking fear and frustration amongst Israelis.

Although Israel has not admitted to the extent of the Iranian spy networks it suspects exist throughout occupied Palestine, a number of publicly disclosed arrests of Israeli citizens, accused of espionage, have confirmed the existence of such networks.

Furthermore, Iranian intelligence minister Esmail Khatib has publicly stated that his nation actively maintains a network of “agents inside Israel”, qualifying this by detailing that these agents “cooperated with us in exchange for money.”

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Back in early June, Iranian state media and Al-Mayadeen TV both broke exclusive stories about a treasure trove of classified documents obtained through Iranian intelligence operations from “inside the Zionist Entity”. The original Al-Mayadeen scoop stated that “thousands of documents related to the Israeli occupation’s projects and its nuclear facilities” had been seized as part of a series of operations that had occurred some time ago.

The Western corporate media’s reaction was to downplay the issue, with some even questioning whether it was simply a psychological warfare tactic. This appeared to work at first to dismiss the information that was being published, yet the following day Iran’s Supreme Military Council (SMC) officially announced it.

The International Atomic Energy Agency chief, Rafael Grossi, also appeared to confirm the authenticity of the Iranian operation, stating that the stories “seem to refer” to the Soreq Nuclear Research Facility.

Grossi, who Iran claims had collaborated with Israel on passing over intelligence about its nuclear facilities, was also prominently featured in the newly released Iranian documentary. In fact, private photos of the IAEA chief were published, which allegedly serve as proof that Israel was actively monitoring and spying on him. It should also be noted that there have long been accusations that Grossi had been compromised by the Israelis.

On September 23, Iran’s intelligence minister stated that millions of pages of documents were obtained through Israeli agents recruited by Tehran. This “huge volume of documents” was examined and is said to have aided in building the Iranian target bank inside occupied Palestine, many of these targets struck during the June 12-day war.

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According to Iranian media, the intelligence operation revealed a series of dual-purpose facilities, used by the Israeli military, along with sites linked to Israel’s nuclear programme.

At this point, it is unclear how far the Iranians have managed to infiltrate Israel’s nuclear programme, specifically its Dimona Nuclear facility, and how extensive its spy network is. During the brief war between both sides, Iran was said to have rounded up thousands of collaborators, proxy-militants, and spies, while there were also a few prominent cases of arrests carried out against Israeli citizens during the same period.

Despite there being incomplete data with which to assess the spying capabilities of both sides, the Iranians claim to have dismantled enormous webs of spies and agents inside their borders, as the Israelis remain quiet on this issue.

It is still safe to assume that the Israelis possess countless assets inside Iranian territory. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during his UN General Assembly address, recently framed Israel’s military actions against Iran earlier this year as being primarily at the hands of its air force, which is totally inaccurate. Most of Israel’s attacks across Iran were in fact carried out by agents on the ground, not through missile and drone strikes alone.

As a suspected second round of the Iran-Israel battle appears to be just around the corner, the question of infiltration is a key one. Agents on the ground and classified information can mean the difference between success and failure for both sides.

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This Friday, the Snapback sanctions mechanism, which was built into the 2015 Iran Nuclear Agreement, was officially set on track for implementation. This has been seen as the final nail in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), as the Israeli PM urges further action to be taken against Tehran’s nuclear programme.

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, addressed this issue during a session of the United Nations Security Council, where he accused the E3 and the US of taking reckless steps that collapse peaceful dialogue and “pave the way to dangerous escalation”.

Israel is the only country in the region that possesses nuclear weapons while being a non-signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). If Iran possesses even deeper knowledge of this undeclared nuclear weapons programme, it could use this intelligence in an attempt to set back or paralyse the programme.

Meanwhile, despite pursuing the imposition of more sanctions on Iran and the tearing up of the Nuclear Agreement, the E3 and the United States are still claiming to desire a negotiated path forward. This has become a typical tactic employed by the European powers and US, to claim to be interested in pursuing diplomacy, while plotting further sanctions and military action.

A new war appears to be on the horizon; the question is not a matter of if but when. It is also most likely that the US and Israel will again throw the first punches.

(The Palestine Chronicle)