Former Mossad Chief Admits Provoking Mass Iranian Arrests
David Barnea revealed Israel intentionally released covert operation footage to overwhelm Iranian intelligence and protect agents during Operation Rising Lion.
Former Mossad chief David Barnea revealed that Israel intentionally released footage of covert operations during Operation Rising Lion in June 2025 to protect its agents. By showcasing the agency's reach, Israel aimed to overwhelm Iranian counterintelligence and provoke mass arrests, making it difficult for Iranian forces to distinguish actual operatives from ordinary citizens.
Barnea stated that this strategy led Iranian authorities to arrest approximately 21,000 people, many of whom had no connection to Israeli intelligence. Some of these individuals were subsequently executed on false espionage charges. Operation Rising Lion began on June 13, 2025, and involved Israeli bombings of Iranian military commanders and scientists, followed by Iranian missile retaliation and a ceasefire after 12 days.
While Iranian police maintained the arrests were responses to genuine threats, human rights organizations including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch noted that the detentions targeted journalists, activists, and minorities. Trita Parsi of the Quincy Institute criticized the strategy, arguing that Israel used ordinary Iranians as tools to protect its own operatives.
