Iran's Revolutionary Guards Conduct Covert Attacks on Israeli and US Targets Across Middle East and Beyond
Iran's Revolutionary Guards' covert operations unit, known as Unit 4000, has been conducting deep operations against Israeli and American targets in the Middle East and beyond for several months, Israeli sources revealed recently. According to an intelligence investigation published by the Intellinews blog, Unit 4000 acts as Iran's special foreign operations arm, deploying Iranian agents to establish "target bases" for attacks using explosive drones and suicide UAVs. The targets include strategic facilities in Israel, as well as US Air Force and coalition bases in Azerbaijan, Turkey, Greece (Crete), and Cyprus.
Unit 4000 was also linked to a recently foiled assassination attempt against then-US President Donald Trump during his visit to Turkey for a NATO summit, an operation prevented partly through Israeli intelligence. The Iranian strategy aims to create plausible deniability while striking strategic targets below the threshold of direct conflict.
The unit's operations involve recruiting operatives and attack teams trained in Iran in assembling, programming, navigating, and deploying explosive drones. Iranian agents establish civilian infrastructure in target countries such as Turkey and Azerbaijan to serve as cover for intelligence gathering, smuggling, and terrorist planning. They also use front companies and commercial entities to disguise military equipment as civilian drone trade, recruiting local businessmen in textiles and security to obscure Iranian links.
Coordination between Unit 4000 and the Quds Force's operational and smuggling units (Units 840 and affiliated assets in Turkey) enables the use of land smuggling routes through Syria and Jordan. In recent months, Israeli and allied intelligence, especially from the US, have thwarted multiple Iranian attack attempts, focusing on a central network operating from Turkey with trained teams and local assets in Ankara and southern Turkey.
This network also tried to smuggle weapons and drones into the West Bank via Syria and Jordan with Quds Force assistance to target strategic Israeli sites and gather intelligence on American bases in the region. Specific targets identified include Turkey's Incirlik Air Base in Adana, Çiğli Air Base in Izmir, Etimesgut Air Base and Esenboğa Airport in Ankara, the British Royal Air Force Akrotiri base in Cyprus, and Souda Bay and Kasteli Air Bases in Crete, Greece. Kuwait has also emerged as a significant focus of Iranian attack planning. Reports indicate pro-Iranian elements plotted to down President Trump's plane during his NATO visit.
