Israeli covert mission caused casualties in Iran, says TV

In a Wednesday broadcast, an Iranian Internet TV channel revealed that Israeli operatives pulled off a clandestine mission in Iran over the past month, leading to casualties and the theft of sensitive documents.

Vahid Khazab, a host on the internet TV channel "Asr," remained tight-lipped about the specifics of the operation, revealing only that a well-connected friend within the security services had informed him about the attack.

Curiously, the Wednesday episode—which covered the latest developments involving Israel and Palestine—has since become inaccessible.

After the program aired, attention quickly shifted to an incident, which could fit the criteria: a reported gas leak on August 29 at an IRGC facility in Isfahan, resulting in the deaths of two senior officers, Captain Mojtaba Nazari, and Lieutenant Colonel Mukhtar Morshidi, and injuring 10 others. In its official statement at the time, the IRGC kept details deliberately vague, omitting the name of the facility and its operations. The statement attributed the incident to a "gas leak" but did not clarify whether the officers died from gas asphyxiation or an explosion.

The host of the "Meydan" program left things ambiguous, not specifying whether he was referring to this particular incident or an undisclosed operation that neither Iranian officials nor the media have acknowledged so far.

Criticizing the strategy of concealing operations on Iranian soil, the other host of the program, Ruhollah Razavi, pointedly remarked: "It seems there's no intention to mention that Iranians, same as the Lebanese, have also been martyred."

Khazab, nodding in agreement, remarked, "Hasn’t Israel conducted operations this past month? Has anyone said a word? Haven’t these operations resulted in martyrs?" His statement trailed off as he deliberately avoided mentioning specific names. He then sharply criticized the silence from officials and relevant agencies, saying, "It seems the strategy is to remain silent so that no one truly knows what’s happening."

The hosts hinted that officials might believe keeping things under wraps avoids public scrutiny—after all, with no visible retaliation and security looking a bit shaky, it might not paint the best picture.

"It's a strategy that if these things are brought up, expectations rise. For example, an ordinary person might say, 'Oh come on, they just talk and do nothing!'" Khazab added.

This scenario has already unfolded, with Tehran issuing multiple declarations of retribution for the killing of Ismail Haniyeh in July in Tehran, yet no retaliatory actions have materialized. The lack of any visible response has led some to question whether the promises were ever meant to be fulfilled, ultimately undermining the image Tehran seeks to project as a strong and dominant power in the region.

Later on Saturday, IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News refuted the statements made in the program, quoting an unnamed security official who stated, “All the facts in this report are incorrect, and it is unclear which uninformed source provided such information to them.”

The "Asr" Internet TV website provides no information about its ownership, yet the channel's content closely aligns with the IRGC's narrative. However, in 2014, Ramezan Sharif, then head of IRGC public relations, denied claims that the IRGC had launched a private radio-television network under the name "Asr."

Sharif said in his statement: "The IRGC has never intended to create a private radio-television network. The 'Asr' network is part of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), designed as part of the national media's broader effort to meet audience needs."