Was Mossad involved in getting Iran booted out of Australia? - analysis - Yonah Jeremy Bob

 

by Yonah Jeremy Bob

Israeli Intelligence forces might have played a part in uncovering the IRGC plot that led to the expulsion of Iranian officials from Australia.

 

(Illustrative) Israel Mossad agent working on laptop, analyzing aerial reconnaissance.

(photo credit: SHUTTERSTOCK)

 

Was Iranian involvement in antisemitic attacks in Australia – which led to the closing of the Iranian Embassy there – revealed to the Australian authorities by the Mossad and other members of Israeli intelligence?

So far, Israel has been mum about its potential involvement, but there is a clear track record.

In 2017, Australia thwarted two Lebanese-Australian brothers from blowing up an Etihad Airways flight traveling from Sydney to Abu Dhabi.

Later, in 2018, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu credited Israel’s intelligence agencies with preventing the potential “unimaginable slaughter.”

Then in 2019, Netanyahu disclosed that the Israeli intelligence that broke the case was obtained through cyber tools.

Demonstrators hold placards as they take part in the 'Nationwide March for Palestine' protest in Sydney, Australia, August 24, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/HOLLIE ADAMS)

Netanyahu added that while he could not give specifics, the audience could “multiply by about 50” the Sydney airline terrorist plot, and that would be the number of terrorist plots worldwide (mostly by ISIS) that Israel had helped to prevent, at the time, thanks to its cyber intelligence powers.

Both the Mossad and IDF Unit 8200 utilize offensive cyber tools at times.

Australian Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said Israel was “directly” involved in uncovering the alleged plot.

“The Etihad flight was almost blown out of the sky and would have resulted in hundreds of people losing their lives, so we are very grateful for the assistance Israel provided in that matter,” Dutton told local radio station 2GB.

Israeli intelligence agencies have warned of possible international IRGC plots

If in that 2017 terror plot Israel waited until 2018 and 2019 to reveal aspects of its involvement, it may take time for Jerusalem to confirm any involvement in this specific case.

In fact, revealing such Israeli assistance at this moment – just after Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Netanyahu have had a spike in their public fighting over Israel’s handling of Palestinian civilians in Gaza and over antisemitism against Australian-Jews – could be explosive.

Both sides might have an interest in keeping that cooperation quiet at this particular juncture.

In September 2024, The Jerusalem Post reported exclusively that the volume of global terror attacks planned by Iran against Jews and Israelis in foreign countries since October 7, 2023, and prevented by the Mossad, had at least doubled compared to the prior year, reaching more than 50 such attempted attacks worldwide.

The Mossad and other Israeli intelligence agencies have warned of a wave of attempted Iranian plots against Israelis and Jews worldwide following Israel’s striking the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, ballistic missile program, top military commanders, radar systems, and sources of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps power this past June.

Sometimes terror attacks are prevented via cooperation between the Mossad and official foreign partner spy services; sometimes the Mossad acts clandestinely and independently in these foreign countries; and sometimes it works with spy agencies from foreign countries that are even partially hostile to Israel or at least have no diplomatic relations.

Such hostile countries or nations lacking diplomatic relations with Jerusalem have not necessarily prioritized helping Israelis or Jews per se, but are affronted by the idea that a foreign actor like Iran would carry out a terror operation on their sovereign territory, regardless of the target victim.

A very small and incomplete list of countries that the Mossad has worked with in recent years: Cyprus, Germany, Denmark, Turkey, Sweden, and Belgium.

Yonah Jeremy Bob

Source: https://www.jpost.com/international/article-865402

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