Mossad: “We Have Just Started”; Exposing Israel’s Hidden War to Wear Down and Destabilize the Islamic Republic
The exposure of details of a classified project within Mossad has revealed new dimensions of Israel’s intelligence and psychological warfare against the Islamic Republic; a project whose aim was not merely the gathering of information or security operations, but rather striking at the legitimacy of Iran’s government, deepening the gap between people and authority, and accelerating the process of wearing down the Islamic Republic. A senior former Mossad official, in an unprecedented interview with Israeli newspaper “Yedioth Ahronoth,” has emphasized that the organization, over recent years, has reached the conclusion that the Islamic Republic faces an internal legitimacy crisis, and a combination of psychological pressure, media warfare, and intelligence operations could further shake the foundations of the government.
According to this report, Mossad, in 2021 and concurrent with the beginning of David Barnea’s tenure as director, created a special branch for “infiltration and influence operations” in Iran; a unit that, unlike traditional intelligence structures, had as its primary mission the management of psychological warfare, influence over public opinion, and undermining public trust in the Islamic Republic. The former head of this unit, whose name was not disclosed, stated that prior to that, even the use of the term “regime change” within Mossad’s structure was sensitive, but gradually “shortening the lifespan of the Islamic Republic” became part of this organization’s strategic objectives.
Yedioth Ahronoth claimed in its report that Mossad, to advance this strategy, had created an extensive network of fake accounts, anonymous pages, and content distribution channels; a structure known within the organization as the “poison machine.” According to the former Mossad official, this network was tasked with disseminating exposé information, destructive narratives, and targeted content on Persian-language social networks to intensify an atmosphere of distrust and psychological erosion within Iranian society.
He stated in this interview: “Sometimes the exposure of a file or shameful information causes an official to be removed from the circle of power. This is much cheaper and simpler than carrying out an assassination operation.” This former Mossad official claimed that in recent years, several Islamic Republic officials have been removed from the power structure through these very media operations and without any physical action.
One of the examples referenced in this report is the publication of an image of Rostam Qasemi, former transportation minister and former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, during the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests; an image showing him alongside an unveiled woman that was rapidly reshared on social media. Yedioth Ahronoth claimed that this image had been transmitted by Mossad to media outlets opposed to the Islamic Republic. A few days after the widespread distribution of the photo, Qasemi stepped down from his position; although Islamic Republic officials attributed his resignation to illness.
In another section of this report, it is stated that Mossad, in recent years, had specifically focused on analyzing Iranian society, the media landscape, and social divisions. This former official claims that examining social media data, surveys, and internal protests led Mossad to the conclusion that a large portion of Iranian society no longer believes in the survival of the Islamic Republic, and widespread protests, from economic crises to the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement, were signs of this erosion of legitimacy.
He further explained that the dissemination of images attributed to Mossad operatives within Iran was not merely propaganda display, but rather a targeted effort to damage the “impenetrable” image of the Islamic Republic’s security apparatus. According to him, the Iranian government has spent years attempting to keep society in a state of constant fear through displays of security power, televised confessions, and security dossiers, and Mossad sought to break this image in the minds of public opinion.
Yedioth Ahronoth also reported that this project proceeded with the support and coordination of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, the CIA, and was part of a joint effort to increase comprehensive pressure on the Islamic Republic. However, the former Mossad official emphasized that there was never any promise of the “immediate collapse” of the Islamic Republic, and the main objective was to wear down the government’s situation in the long term.
He stated at the conclusion of this interview: “No rational person imagines that with the end of bombings a government immediately collapses.” But he immediately added: “Our work with Iran is not over; we have just started.”
The exposure of this project occurs at a time when the Islamic Republic has faced in recent years widespread protests, economic crisis, rising social discontent, and a deep gap between the government and a large portion of society; a situation that, according to many observers, has turned Iran into the battlefield of one of the Middle East’s most complex hybrid and intelligence wars.
