Ex-PM Olmert Reveals Israeli Navy Commandos Killed Assad's Top Nuclear Advisor

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has revealed that Israeli Navy commandos assassinated Syrian General Mohammed Suleiman, a senior advisor to President Bashar al-Assad, on August 1, 2008. The operation, carried out by the elite Shayetet 13 naval commando unit, targeted Suleiman as he dined on the balcony of his seaside home in Tartus, Syria. Olmert detailed in his book, 'We Are All Arizona,' that skilled snipers approached within 150 meters of Suleiman's location under the cover of darkness and fired three shots, hitting him in the head and neck, causing his death shortly after. The commandos then retreated to a waiting boat.

Suleiman was described by Olmert as Assad's closest confidant and a key figure behind Syria's covert nuclear program, particularly its complex deal with North Korea. He reportedly held an office near Assad's and was privy to all aspects of the nuclear project, including the logistics and procurement of materials, while even the Syrian Defense Minister was unaware of its existence. Suleiman had recently received a new Mercedes from Assad as a token of appreciation for his work on the nuclear facility.

Publicly, the Syrian regime remained silent following the assassination. However, Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah alluded to Israeli responsibility months later, linking it to the Second Lebanon War. In 2015, documents purportedly from U.S. intelligence, published by The Intercept and originating from NSA leaks, corroborated that Shayetet 13 was responsible for the operation. This provided the first official confirmation of an Israeli role, dispelling speculation that Suleiman was killed in an internal Syrian power struggle.

Earlier reports from The Guardian in 2010, based on a leaked WikiLeaks cable from the U.S. embassy in Damascus, indicated that Syria suspected Israel. Syrian security forces reportedly cordoned off the area and conducted searches, recognizing Tartus as a more accessible location for Israeli operatives. The cable noted that the use of a sniper suggested the assassin knew how to identify Suleiman from a distance. Syrian journalists were instructed not to report on the incident, and initial reports obscured the victim's identity, though U.S. officials were aware he was a special advisor on strategic weapons and arms procurement.