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Mossad Abducted Iranian Generals in Bid to Find Ron Arad
An investigation by The New York Times has revealed that Israel's intelligence community conducted covert operations over several decades, including the abduction of two Iranian generals, in an effort to locate missing air force navigator Ron Arad. The operations were driven by a long-held belief that Iran was involved in Arad's disappearance after his jet was damaged over southern Lebanon in 1986. However, current assessments suggest that Arad was never held in Iran and instead died in Lebanon in 1988.
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What happened
- 01A New York Times investigation revealed that Israel abducted two Iranian generals in a decades-long search for missing navigator Ron Arad.
- 02Mossad agents allegedly kidnapped Iranian General Alireza Asgari in Istanbul in 2006, interrogated him, and killed him.
- 03Iranian commander Abdullah Saberi was abducted by Israeli operatives in Damascus in September 2021 and brought to Israel for interrogation.
- 04Israeli intelligence agencies now believe Ron Arad was never held in Iran and instead died in Lebanon in 1988.
- 05A secret 2004 report by Iran and Hezbollah concluded that Arad died and was buried in the Lebanese village of Nabi Sheet.
- 06A 2006 Shin Bet review concluding that neither Iran nor Hezbollah held Arad was largely ignored by Israeli authorities.
- 07In March 2026, IDF commandos conducted an unsuccessful search for Arad's remains at a cemetery in Nabi Sheet, Lebanon.
According to the investigation, Mossad agents abducted former Iranian deputy defense minister General Alireza Asgari from an Istanbul hotel in 2006. Asgari was interrogated about Arad's whereabouts and subsequently killed when no information was obtained. In September 2021, Israeli operatives disguised as furniture movers abducted another senior Iranian commander, Abdullah Saberi, in Damascus. Saberi was brought to Israel for interrogation and was later abandoned in South Africa.
The focus on Iran persisted despite internal intelligence reviews, including a 2006 Shin Bet assessment, which concluded that neither Iran nor Hezbollah held Arad. A secret report prepared by Iran and Hezbollah after a 2004 prisoner exchange also concluded that Arad had died in the Lebanese village of Nabi Sheet in 1988. Recent Israeli efforts have refocused on Lebanon, where an unsuccessful IDF commando search for Arad's remains was conducted at a Nabi Sheet cemetery in March 2026.
Summarized by baba from the reports of 4 newsrooms. Updated
Latest report: JDN. Read JDN’s originalThe coverage
4 newsrooms on this story
Who covered it
- LeftNone
- Centre3
- RightNone
- Haredi1
- ArabNone
Not in the Left, Right or Arab press
