NYT Report: Israel Kidnapped Iranian Generals in Search for Ron Arad

General Abdullah Sabri was reportedly abducted by Mossad agents in Damascus, Syria, in September 2021. Agents disguised as movers bypassed security checkpoints near the Iranian embassy, forced Sabri into a commercial vehicle, and transported him to Israel inside a refrigerator box. After being interrogated solely about the Ron Arad case, Sabri was reportedly released and abandoned in South Africa.

General Alireza Askari, a commander in the Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force, disappeared in Istanbul, Turkey, in December 2006. Former U.S. officials revealed that Mossad operatives kidnapped Askari, interrogated him for weeks, and ultimately executed him, throwing his body into the Black Sea. While Israel consistently denied involvement, Israeli representatives later informed a U.S. delegation during negotiations that Askari was deceased.

Israeli intelligence assessments now suggest that Iran was not involved in Arad's 1986 disappearance and that he likely died in Lebanon in 1988. In separate developments, Iran announced that its foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, will travel to Oman on Tuesday for talks, while Iranian officials declared they have concluded negotiation phases and have no further issues for discussion.