Der Spiegel praises Israel’s unprecedented intelligence penetration of Iran but argues that operational brilliance did not translate into regime change.
Israel’s Mossad built deep intelligence networks inside Iran, recruited agents, smuggled weapons and drones into the country, eliminated nuclear scientists and senior Revolutionary Guard commanders, and supplied intelligence for precise attacks on nuclear and military infrastructure.
The penetration was reportedly so extensive that Iranian officials began suspecting that virtually every major government institution had been infiltrated. Yet Der Spiegel argues that these extraordinary achievements may also have created excessive confidence in Israel’s ability to shape Iran’s political future.
According to the magazine, the broader strategy went beyond damaging Iran’s nuclear and military capabilities. Israeli planners reportedly hoped that a devastating military blow would trigger an internal crisis, mass public unrest and ultimately the collapse of the Islamic regime.