Israel established a network of Iranian dissidents and non-Iranian recruits over the course of years for its assassinations of senior officials in a June war and total destruction of Iran’s anti-aircraft defenses, according to a ProPublica investigation.
IRAN INTERNATIONAL -- The Israeli air force conducted reconnaissance flights inside Iran in advance of the conflict to ensure the eventual safe penetration of its airspace and identify weaknesses in Iranian air defense systems, the report said.
“Israeli pilots had been secretly flying over Iran since 2016, learning the landscape and exploring various routes to minimize the chances of detection,” ProPublica reported.
Israel launched a surprise military campaign on June 13 targeting military and nuclear sites, assassinating senior Iranian commanders and killing hundreds of civilians. In response, Iranian missile strikes killed 29 Israeli civilians.