Mitch Keller sidesteps trouble in the 6th

Unidentified drones have killed several people in two different strikes in Idlib countryside
Syrian civil defense officials removed missile remains from craters in Syria's northern Idlib countryside after unidentified drone attack on Tuesday killed a man and wounded three other people in a car. An earlier strike killed two men on a motorcycle.. (AP video: Ghaith Alsayed )

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2 hours ago

• Yahoo

Spike Missiles That Destroyed Air Defenses From Inside Iran Were Remotely Operated

As Israel's Operation Rising Lion campaign enters its fifth day, Iranian officials claim they've uncovered new evidence of how Mossad operatives carried out attacks from inside the country using missiles and drones, at least some of which helped suppress Iranian air defenses. This is the latest in long-standing Israeli operations using weapons smuggled inside Iran, a senior IDF official told us. You can catch up with the latest installment of our coverage of the Israeli attack and the Iranian response dubbed Operation True Promise III, here. In new images published on Iranian media, authorities there showcased what they say are remnants of Rafael Spike precision-guided missile systems left behind after being used in the initial phase of Israel's ongoing campaign to neuter Iran's nuclear and long-range weapons capabilities. At least some of those systems were operated remotely, according to Iranian officials, representing another leap forward in Israel's ability to use systems set up in Iran to attack from afar. 'Iranian intelligence forces have discovered customized Spike missile launchers…designed to suppress Iran's air defenses, equipped with internet-based automation and remote control systems,' the official Iranian Press TV news outlet reported on Telegram on Monday. 'They were operated by terrorist Mossad agents.' Fars published images of some of those components. The images released by Iran on Monday seem to verify what we previously wrote about the mission in which Mossad operatives worked to move 'special weapons on a large scale, deploy them throughout Iran, and launch them towards the attack targets in a precise and effective manner.' They show an array of hardware scattered across a dirt area. These include launchers, a number of radio and computer hardware components, and a small EO/IR turret on a turret mount. These systems appear to have allowed operatives to fire and guide the weapons without being present at the site. We pointed out that video footage emerging on social media apparently showed Israeli commandos on the ground in Iran operating Spike precision-guided missiles. As we noted, 'Spike, specifically the Non-Line-Of-Sight (NLOS) version, would be an ideal weapon for the sort of mission pulled off by Mossad inside Iran, since it can be launched from behind cover. It can be employed in a 'fire and forget' mode or using man-in-the-loop guidance. In this way, the missile can also be used to reconnoiter targets before striking them, with extreme precision, as well.' You can see that video below. Images of Mossad operatives in Iran conducting strikes overnight. Appear to possibly use Spike ATGMs to hit air defence assets. — ELINT News (@ELINTNews) June 13, 2025 There is precedent for claims that Israel has used remote weapons systems inside Iran. In November 2020, Iranian officials said that Israel killed top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh using a gun in either a remote-controlled or entirely automated mount on a pickup truck, with no actual human assassins involved. You can see images of the aftermath of that attack below. Images allegedly directly from the assassination spot of #Iran chief nuclear scientist Muhsain Fakhrizadeh. — Aldin (@aldin_aba) November 27, 2020 In addition to the Spike system remnants, investigators say they found what they claim was a three-story Israeli drone factory in a building in Shahr-e Ray, located south of the Iranian capital. 'The three [story] building was used by Israeli agents to assemble and store UAVs intended for terrorist operations,' the semi-official Tasnim news outlet stated on X. 'Officials also found homemade bombs and over 200 kg of explosives.' Security forces located a clandestine drone-manufacturing site in Shahr-e Rey, south of three floors building, was used by Israeli agents to assemble and store UAVs intended for terrorists also found homemade bombs and over 200 kg of explosives. — Tasnim News Agency (@Tasnimnews_EN) June 15, 2025 The discovery of this drone factory was made after investigators received 'a public report of suspicious movements at a residential home,' the official Iranian Fars news outlet reported on Telegram. Video from the scene showed at least one drone, drone wings and other components, as well as controllers, on tables and shelves in one room of the building, as well as an Ender 3D printer. In Ukraine, both sides have often used these devices to produce drone components like propellers. WILD Iranian state TV: An Israeli three-story drone manufacturing workshop has been discovered in — Open Source Intel (@Osint613) June 15, 2025 In addition to the drone production facility near Tehran, Iranian officials in Isfahan, about 200 miles south of the capital, claim they also found a 'drone equipment manufacturing workshop' there. 'Police officers, through careful monitoring and intelligence, learned of the storage of equipment and parts for drone and micro-aircraft manufacturing in a workshop near Isfahan city and immediately took action for a more detailed investigation,' the deputy police chief of Isfahan said, according to the official Iranian Fars news agency. 'Four suspects were arrested in this operation. Large amounts of equipment and parts for making drones and micro-aircraft were discovered at the location.' Isfahan is home to Iran's nuclear technology center, however, Fars did not specify the targets of these drones or whether any were actually launched. Fars published an image of what appears to be remnants of one of those drones. A senior IDF official told The War Zone that Israel has long carried out these kinds of operations inside Iran. 'I can confirm that for years, the Mossad and other Israeli covert forces have been operating facilities for assembling drones, UAVs, and various types of precision-guided missiles designed for manual launch from the ground,' said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss operational details. 'For years, they've successfully smuggled raw materials and assembled weapon systems inside Tehran itself. I don't have information regarding whether these facilities have been exposed, but in any case, their exposure is currently irrelevant, as they are no longer in use. Nevertheless, there's no doubt that these operations were a game-changer—both in terms of targeted operations and, more significantly, in achieving air superiority, since the operation began.' These Israeli attacks from inside echo recent actions by Ukraine's State Security Service (SBU), which launched one-way attack drones from within Russian territory during Operation Spiderweb at the start of this month. In that operation, drones concealed within trucks were launched in a coordinated attack on strategic bombers on different airfields deep within Russia, as you can read about here. The use of covertly launched drones to take out strategic targets in their vicinity in a long-planned and closely coordinated attack has significant parallels with what we are now seeing happen in Iran. You can see Ukraine's Operation Spiderweb unfold in the following video. СБУ показала унікальні кадри спецоперації «Павутина», у результаті якої уражено 41 військовий літак стратегічної авіації рф — СБ України (@ServiceSsu) June 4, 2025 Officials in Tehran say they have also uncovered new Mossad-related actions inside Iran and arrested suspects tied to the spy organization. 'Iran's security forces in Delfan, Lorestan arrested 5 Mossad-linked foreign terrorists carrying explosive-laden suicide drones intended to be used in Israeli terror attacks on Iranian civilians across the country,' the official Iranian Press TV news outlet claimed. 'Two trucks loaded with drones and explosives, belonging to and operated by Mossad terrorists, were captured in Iran's Lorestan Province following public reports to the intelligence services.' Two trucks loaded with drones and explosives, belonging to and operated by Mossad terrorists, were captured in Iran's Lorestan Province following public reports to the intelligence — Palestine Highlights (@PalHighlight) June 16, 2025 Iran's intelligence also detained 'several Mossad-linked terrorists who were planning a terror operation from a half-constructed building, following reports from vigilant citizens,' Press TV reported. Amid the arrests of individuals suspected of helping Mossad and the discovery of the Spike components and drone factories, Iranian officials issued a warning to anyone thinking of helping Israel. 'My message to traitors is that if you feel you have been deceived by the enemy, there is still time to return,' Ahmad-Razan Radan, chief of Iran's National Police, said, according to Fars. 'If you introduce yourself voluntarily, you can benefit from the mercy of the Islamic Republic system. Otherwise, just as the enemy is receiving a response in the field, you will also learn a lesson.' It's probably unlikely that such warnings will hamper Mossad's recruitment efforts, especially with the disarray caused by airstrikes and Israel's commitment to end Iran's nuclear and long-range missile programs once and for all. Contact the author: howard@

Yahoo

2 hours ago

• Yahoo

Top Iranian Nuclear Scientists Killed By Secret Israeli Weapon: Report

As Israeli jets struck military targets, high-ranking officers and nuclear-related facilities in Iran during the opening salvo of Operation Rising Lion, there was another extremely high-stakes clandestine mission taking place. Code-named Operation Narnia, Israeli operatives reportedly used a 'secret weapon' to simultaneously kill nine of Iran's top nuclear scientists as they slept in their beds, according to Israel's N12 news outlet. It was the latest move in Israel's long-time effort to blunt Iranian nuclear ambitions by killing off the people capable of advancing the program. Officials declined to say what this special weapon, 'which remains under censorship and has not been disclosed publicly,' was, the Times of Israel explained. The War Zone cannot verify these claims. However, as we have previously reported, Israel hit residences of high-value individuals with smaller munitions and Mossad used drones and anti-tank guided missiles inside Iran (more on those later) on the first night of its attack. These targeted assassinations continue today, although not in the same volume seen during the opening acts of the war. It remains possible that some of these systems were used in the assassination of the scientists. Dubbed Operation Narnia, #Israel's opening attack against #Iran saw the simultaneous killing of nine of Tehran's top ten nuclear scientists in their beds. They were killed using a special weapon whose details were barred from publication. 1/2https:// — Jason Brodsky (@JasonMBrodsky) June 20, 2025 Target of the assassination in Tehran is a nuclear Israeli Channel 12 — Clash Report (@clashreport) June 20, 2025 Israeli intelligence deliberately orchestrated simultaneous hits as the opening blow of the war to avoid any chance of warning or escape, according to the N12 report. In previous incidents, Iranian nuclear scientists had often been targeted with car bombs and drive-by shootings while commuting. As a result, these public events set off alarms and spurred increased protection for other potential high-value targets. For a reason not yet clear, while nine scientists were killed, a 10th scientist escaped the initial attack but was killed later. 'These scientists believed their homes were safe zones,' a senior Israeli official told N12. 'They never imagined they would be reached in their bedrooms.' Israeli intelligence officials told N12 that killing the scientists was the most important part of the opening phase of Operation Rising Lion. Air defenses, ballistic missile systems, and command and control nodes are important and difficult to replace. However, the officials emphasized that 'the knowledge of these people is irreplaceable. It takes many years, if any, to regroup these minds who each worked for 20-40 years on the nuclear and weapons program.' 'There is a long-term effect here for more than many years,' the officials added. The nuclear scientists who were eliminated 'had been involved for decades in promoting nuclear weapons – an essential component of the Iranian regime's plan to destroy the State of Israel,' according to the publication. Given the importance of the scientists, Israel monitored them for years using 'dozens of researchers in the IDF Intelligence Division's Research Division,' N12 stated. 'This was a combined team of technology researchers and experts in the Iranian arena.' The operation intensified over the past 12 months, and the scientists became 'targets' last November, when the decision was made to strike the opening blow to this war. Operation Narnia 'simply wiped out the entire top Iranian nuclear scientists who hold all the knowledge about the nuclear and enrichment [programs].' According to the Times of Israel, the scientists killed were identified as: 'Fereydoon Abbasi, expert in nuclear engineering; Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, expert in physics; Akbar Motalebi Zadeh, expert in chemical engineering; Saeed Barji, expert in materials engineering; Amir Hassan Fakhahi, expert in physics; Abd al-Hamid Minoushehr, expert in reactor physics; Mansour Asgari, expert in physics; Ahmad Reza Zolfaghari Daryani, expert in nuclear engineering; and Ali Bakhouei Katirimi, expert in mechanics.' ASSASSINATED:These are the 9 Senior Nuclear Scientists and Experts in the Iranian Nuclear Project that were killed by the one served to advance the Iranian nuclear project and possessed decades of accumulated experience in the development of nuclear of… — Edward (@DonKlericuzio) June 14, 2025 Israel has used unconventional means of killing Iranian nuclear scientists before. In November 2020, Iranian officials said that Israel killed a top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh using a machine gun in either a remote-controlled or entirely automated mount on a pickup truck, with no actual human assassins present. You can see images of the aftermath of that attack below. Images allegedly directly from the assassination spot of #Iran chief nuclear scientist Muhsain Fakhrizadeh. — Aldin (@aldin_aba) November 27, 2020 It remains unclear whether the scientists were killed by a weapon delivered from the air or launched from the ground, possibly in close proximity to its target. As we noted in a previous story, Mossad operatives used remotely operated Rafael Spike precision-guided missile systems during the initial phase of Rising Lion to destroy air defenses around Tehran. These missiles are man-in-the-loop guided and allow operators to fly the missile to a highly specific point before detonation. They can even loiter for short periods of time. Video of that operation emerged on social media, which you can see below. Images of Mossad operatives in Iran conducting strikes overnight. Appear to possibly use Spike ATGMs to hit air defence assets. — ELINT News (@ELINTNews) June 13, 2025 In addition to using the remote Spike systems, Mossad also set up drone production sites in buildings in Isfahan, some 200 miles south of Tehran. In one location, investigators found a 'three [story] building being used by Israeli agents to assemble and store UAVs intended for terrorist operations,' the semi-official Tasnim news outlet stated on X. 'Officials also found homemade bombs and over 200 kg of explosives.' WILD Iranian state TV: An Israeli three-story drone manufacturing workshop has been discovered in — Open Source Intel (@Osint613) June 15, 2025 Israel also pioneered the use of highly maneuverable suicide drones that are totally optimized for missions in dense urban areas, including inside buildings. Such a weapon would be well suited for entering the residence of a high-value target and detonating. I've heard reports about the IDF using small drones but I believe this might be the first documentation of a drone used by Israeli security forces to scout a position in the West Bank (likely Nablus) and then appears to detonate when it enters a building. — Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) February 14, 2023 Israel's long-range one-way attack drones, another class of weapon they pioneered, could also be used for these kind of highly-targeted attacks. Israel has a history of using extraordinary covert methods for killing enemies in the beginning phases of an operation. Days before launching strikes against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants of Lebanon in September 2024, Israel carried out an audacious operation using thousands of exploding pagers and radios to target Hezbollah members. The blasts killed about 30 people and wounded more than 3,000. Footage of communication pagers worn by Hezbollah members exploding across incident. — Faytuks News (@Faytuks) September 17, 2024 In another example of how Israel was able to strike at its foes behind the lines in a Tehran ground operation, Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was reportedly assassinated in late July 2024 by a bomb smuggled into the guesthouse where he was staying in the Iranian capital, according to The New York Times. Given Israel's penchant for secrecy, especially during this conflict, it may be some time before we know what killed the scientists. This is especially true if the same methods are still being used. Contact the author: howard@

CNN

4 hours ago

• CNN

US law enforcement reexamining Hezbollah intel, but there's no indication of credible threats

Intelligence and law enforcement agencies are reexamining known or suspected Hezbollah associates in the US, looking for possible threats that could arise as tensions with Iran increase, though there's no indication of credible threats at this time, law enforcement officials told CNN. The moves come amid warnings from Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei of possible repercussions against the US as President Donald Trump weighs military action against Iran and as the president has mentioned the possibility of the Israeli government attempting to kill the Iranian leader. While US intelligence officials view the greatest danger to be against US military bases and US interests in the region, they are also acting out of an abundance of caution to try and prevent any domestic threats, the sources said. The prospect of Iranian threats inside the US has long been a concern to law enforcement officials, particularly after the US killed Qasem Soleimani, the top Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps general, during the first Trump administration and the Iranians vowed reprisals against former US government officials. Last year, the Justice Department announced arrests in an alleged murder-for-hire plot targeting Trump and others. The US also accused Iranian-affiliated hackers with breaching the Trump campaign, raising the prospect that Iran could use cyber attacks to retaliate against the United States. The FBI is monitoring potential threats and keeping close watch on groups with suspected ties to Iran, a law enforcement official said. The biggest concern, however, remains lone wolf attacks and the continued hit list of current and former US officials from Iran – including against Trump himself. In recent years, however, Iran-related threats have emerged from criminal groups that could be hired to carry out attacks, and not from domestic groups associated with fundraising for Iranian-affiliates such as Hezbollah and Hamas, US officials noted. Late last year, the Justice Department charged two US citizens for allegedly helping Iranian officials surveil an anti-regime advocate in New York. The department also brought charges in a case involving an Afghanistan national allegedly tasked by the IRGC to carrying out assassinations against US and Israeli citizens inside the US, including Trump. 'There's always a threat,' one federal law enforcement official told CNN of Iran. 'The difference is when it's specific and credible.' Security postures around several key areas in the US Capital, including the White House, Pentagon and Israeli embassy, have increased since the current conflict between Israel and Iran began earlier this month. But officials told CNN those increases are part of a normal security protocol activated when any conflict of this size begins around the globe. One Secret Service official told CNN the agency was under a high level of vigilance but was not currently monitoring a new increase in credible and actionable threats from the country. When it comes to Iran, one of the FBI's primary points of focus inside the US is money. The agency continues to investigate how terrorist organizations, sometimes connected to Iran, retrieve funding from groups inside the US – which became a significant issue in the wake of the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas in 2023. Sources stressed that while there was no current uptick in the already heightened threat posed against the US by Iran, that story could quickly change. 'It just depends,' one source said of whether Trump decides to engage the US military against Iran, adding that assessments are being run on a continued basis. One issue that has been increasingly difficult for the FBI and other law enforcement groups to thwart is the threat of a lone wolf attack. Over the past several months, the US has seen multiple attacks by singular individuals who never communicated their intentions with others or online – a threat that quickly becomes nearly impossible to stop or fully prepare for.