Intelligence Warfare: Targeting Tehran to Stop a Nuclear Iran

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To counter a well-funded, Iran-backed “axis of resistance” seeking its destruction, Israel has spent more than a decade waging a “campaign between wars” — an unconventional multi-front campaign against Iran and its proxies that entails air, naval, cyber, sabotage, and psychological operations. Sometimes in cooperation with the United States, Israel has struck a wide array of targets inside Iran, penetrating Tehran’s defenses almost at will. These achievements have left a deep impression on governments in the region with some Arab countries having elected to de-prioritize historical animosities with Israel and normalize relations as mutual concerns about Iran loom large. In the wake of the recent attacks by Tehran-sponsored terrorists, leading to over 1,400 Israeli deaths, Israel’s intelligence apparatus is under study and scrutiny now more than ever. How did Hamas plan and execute an attack at such large scale under the nose of Israeli intelligence, and what lessons can be learned when thwarting Iranian nuclear ambitions?

Yonah Jeremy Bob

Yonah Jeremy Bob is the Jerusalem Post’s senior military correspondent, intelligence analyst and Literary Editor. He covers the Israeli military, the Mossad, the Shin Bet, defense technologies, Iran’s weapons of mass destruction, cyberwar and war crimes allegations. Yonah is also well-connected to all of the top Israeli ministries from his former posts in the IDF, the Foreign Ministry and the Justice Ministry. Yonah is also the author of “Target Tehran,” about the Mossad’s secret war against Iran’s nuclear program and its role in the Abraham Accords, published by Simon & Schuster in September 2023.

Eyal Hulata

Eyal Hulata is a senior international fellow at FDD and the first foreign visiting fellow at FDD headquarters. From July 2021 to January 2023, Dr. Hulata served as Israel’s national security advisor and head of Israel’s National Security Council (NSC). Eyal served under Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Prime Minister Yair Lapid. During his tenure, Eyal coordinated the national effort on Iran, coordinated the maritime border agreement with Lebanon, and co-headed the Strategic Consultation Group with his American counterpart, Jake Sullivan.  Earlier in his career, Eyal served for more than 20 years in Israeli national security roles. For his achievements, Eyal was awarded the prestigious Israeli Defense Award.

Jonathan Schanzer

Jonathan Schanzer is senior vice president for research at FDD, where he oversees the work of the organization’s experts and scholars. Jonathan previously worked as a terrorism finance analyst at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, where he played an integral role in the designation of numerous terrorist financiers. He has held previous think tank research positions at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and the Middle East Forum. Jonathan has written hundreds of articles on the Middle East, along with more than a dozen monographs and chapters for edited volumes. Jonathan testifies often before Congress and publishes widely in the American and international media.

Enia Krivine

Enia Krivine is the senior director of FDD’s Israel Program and National Security Network. She joined FDD after nearly seven years at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), where she helped strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship through education and advocacy. Prior to AIPAC, Enia worked on several political campaigns and served as director of congressional affairs for the Israel Allies Foundation. She began her career in DC over a decade ago as a Middle East fellow at the House Foreign Affairs Committee, serving under Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen She is an FDD National Security Fellowship Program alumna.