The official insignia of the Israeli Mossad.
Video footage posted to social networks on June 14 showed one of the concealed drone launchers used a day earlier by the Mossad spy agency in the opening strikes of Operation Rising Lion which is aimed to cripple the nuclear program of Iran.
Mossad played a key role in the opening strikes. According to The Times of Israel, the spy agency set up a covert drone base near the Iranian capital, Tehran, and smuggled precision weapons systems into the Islamic Republic in preparation for the large-scale operation.
In the first hours of the attack, Mossad commandos deployed drones to take out ballistic missile launchers and used guided missiles to hit air defenses in central Iran, degrading the country’s offensive capabilities and ganting Israeli warplanes air supremacy over the region.
The drone launcher found somewhere in Iran after the attack was concealed in the back of a small truck. It included 20 cells with no special wiring or launch mechanisms.
The type of the drones used in the attack remains unknown, but the shape of launch cells suggest that the drone used had a cylindrical frame.
It is very likely that the Spike Firefly loitering munition was used, as it could fit perfectly in such cells and requires no assists in take off. The munition, developed by Rafael, has a range of up to five kilometers with an optical guidance system and a two way data-link.
The Firefly carries a omnidirectional fragmentation warhead weighing 350 g. While the warhead may seem to light, it is still very lethal against targets like ballistic missile launchers as a single sharpnel could blow up the weapon. It is also possible that Israel used a modified version of the munition, with a heavier warhead.
Click to see full-size image. (Rafael)
One of the videos released by Mossad showed an attack with what appears to be a loitering munition on a ballistic missile launcher. However, the targeting markers are not similar to the system used in the Firefly, thus, as for now, the use of the weapon remains a speculation.
Other videos showed attacks with Spike NLOS and what appears to be Spike LR2 anti-tank guided missiles on air defense systems. Both missiles come from the same family of precision weapons as the Firefly.
The optical-guided Spike NLOS can hit targets as far as 32 kilometers, which makes it a very suitable weapon for suppression of enemy air defenses, or SEAD, operations. The missile can be armed with a fragmentation, high-explosive anti-tank, or penetrating blast-fragmentation warhead.
The missile weighs just over 70 kg and requires even heavier guidance equipment to control. However, Rafael did showcase in the past Spike NLOS launchers installed in the back of a pickup truck, on a light buggy, or even on a towed trailer.
Click to see full-size image. (Rafael)
It is still unclear how these launchers were smuggled into Iran, although it is possible that they were airlifted with helicopters. In the very first hours of the attack, two Israeli KC-130H transport and refueling aircraft, typically used to refuel S-65C-3 heavy lift helicopters, were spotted flying at a very low altitude over Syria.
Of course, Israel has a history with such complex operations. In 1992, the Israeli Defense Forces planned to use helicopters to airlift Spike NLOS launchers concealed in jeeps similar to those used by the Iraqi military deep into Iraq to kill President Saddam Hussien. The assassination plot, codenamed Operation Bramble Bush, was, however, canceled.
The other optical-guided missile the Mossad may have used in the attack on Iran, the Spike LR2, is easier to move as it is designed for use by infantry.
Click to see full-size image. (Rafael)
The launcher and the missile weigh just 25 kg. Still, it backs a powerful punch with a high-explosive anti-tank warhead and a range of up to 5,5 kilometers.
Iranian authorities are yet to reveal any details about the attack carried out by Mossad commandos. However, the country’s media said that the commandos, or at least some of them, were Iranian nationals trained by the spy agency in a third country.
In addition to the concealed drone launcher, two other trucks allegedly used in the attack were also found. Photos of the trucks were posted to social networks. However, nothing special is notable in the photos.
Click to see full-size image. Via Telegram.
To prevent Mossad from carrying out more operations, Iranian authorities banned the movement of all types of trucks without a security permission. The move came too late, and more can be done to counter the threat posed by the Israeli spy agency.
It’s worth noting that Mossad did carry out similar operations in Iran in the past. Still, Iran clearly didn’t do enough to improve security around its key military facilities.
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we will do the same to iran as we’re doing to gaza…heheheh
is that your final solution?
iran made a fatal mistake by not testing a nuclear weapon.
you will never live in peace. that is why i say, jewish tribe is mentally ill. stay away from imbreeding and talmud
mek terror puppets? the entire story of the jewish supremacist organized crime enclave is a concoction of lies, but it’s always amusing to hear their fibs about the early days of the “state”. allegedly a small band of communal orange growers with a fleet of mercenary-operated aircraft, forming a “science corps” in the first year of their state’s existence, a science corps which almost immediately became a major military-industrial complex.
first hit, then think
well done clever, king trump
arrest , deport, repeat
(or in 10 years there will be civil war between illegal migrants and us citizens and
please change all democ(rats) generals and police administrators which planning coup against you and first start from lapd)
maga (make america great again)
you can continue yelling and crying in the streets democ(rats)
heil roy cohn junior!
ukraine spider web planners again execute same tactic on iran.trump hope that as usual putin will call ceasefire to give israel breath chance.iran should never listen to putins nonsense like in syria dont retaliate until syria were taken over by usa,turkey,frnce,israel and britain.
more bullshit from mars, it was iranians who did this, used by israel, we call them traitors, no explanation holds
derp? derp derp.
shut up fuck off
oy vey, derpster!
governments, industrialists, bankers, journalists and their satanic priests should go to hell, because that’s where they want to go anyway. all these traitors to humanity and to god must die and go to hell immediately so that humanity can build a true civilization.
just a few thoughts for the doom mongers and zio fanboys. the first day saw iran take a heavy punch, but it’s the best our zio friends can do. it will not be decisive. the military leaders have already been replaced, and the scientists will be. iran has already shown a great deal of resilience. there is some damage to surface installations of nuclear facilities, but those underground will have survived. zio cheerleaders in western/ zio media were crowing that it would be many days
before iran could retaliate, if at all. in fact, the response came in a few hours. this seems to fall short of zio expectations, with growing concern in that media. iran’s air defence was disabled for a short time, probably through cyber and drone attacks, but it soon started to come back on line. there are claims that up to 3 f35s have been shot down, with extensive missile barrages throughout occupied palestine hitting most towns and cities, airfields and military targets.
the rest has been censored – yet again. sorry.
there seems to be a lot of censoring of footage of iranian retaliation and damage caused on the so called state of israel.
israel is playing with the weak and scared mullahs 😆😆😆
of course, those bastards were unable to prevent 7/10 but are well able to infiltrate iran.
never believe nothing that comes from israel. they won a tiny battle, but persia would survive in the end. wait and see, first iran would repel all destabilizing attacks from usa uk france and the exceptionals breed, then israel will have to receive the same coin what they have done to middle east for about 50 years. in the end, as soon as the western empire of the exceptionals breed collapse, israel would cease to exist, and palestine would be free again from zionist forever.
iranians were lulled into a false sense of security by us fake nuclear talks.