TEHRAN: On Thursday, Iran claimed success in foiling an Israeli intelligence operation targeting the Islamic Republic’s missile program.
The Defence Ministry’s intelligence unit “prevented and neutralized” the “biggest industrial sabotage” in the missile sector, according to an announcement shown on official television.
State TV reported that “one of the largest sabotage plots targeting Iran’s missile, aviation, and airspace military industry” had been foiled by the Defense Ministry’s intelligence unit “under the guidance of the Zionist intelligence services,” presumably referring to Mossad.
The ministry claimed that a network of Mossad agents plotted to introduce “defective parts” into the missile production process.
Nour News, which is linked to Iran’s main security organization, recently quoted an unnamed security official as saying that the country’s missile industry has “always been the target of industrial sabotage” due to its “strategic effectiveness as a” deterrent against hostile threats.
The report claimed that Iranian security agencies had been keeping an eye on the suspected sabotage scheme for several months, which aimed to introduce “defective parts” in the construction of advanced missiles.
A high-ranking military official has stated that all missiles would have been disabled if the sabotage campaign hadn’t been uncovered.
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The Israelis remained silent in the face of the Iranian accusation.
Since the Iranian revolution of 1979, Iran and Israel have been bitter enemies who frequently accuse one another of sabotage.
While Israel has been accused of killing senior Iranian nuclear scientists, Iran has accused it of carrying out a series of sabotage attacks against its nuclear sites in recent days.
Tehran has made great progress in producing advanced missiles and drones in recent years, in addition to its nuclear enrichment programs.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said last month during a visit to Azerbaijan that Israel has prevented more than 50 strikes in the past few years.
Millions of shekels, he claimed, are included in the latest defense budget to “prepare for every way we can prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.”
