New information released on Israel’s targeting 11 Iranian scientists last June

The documentary outlines the years of surveillance, intelligence gathering, and agent placement inside Iran.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

A joint documentary released by The Washington Post and PBS Frontline reveals new information about a covert Israeli operation that targeted Iran’s nuclear program in June, including the coordinated killing of 11 senior nuclear scientists by the Mossad.

The program, based on interviews with officials from Israel, the U.S., Iran, and Arab states—many speaking on condition of anonymity—details how the assassinations formed part of a broader Israeli military campaign aimed at crippling Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, missile systems, and air defenses.

Among the scientists killed were Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi and former atomic energy chief Fereydoun Abbasi.

Israeli officials cited in the documentary said the strikes were intended to delay Iran’s nuclear ambitions by removing key personnel and disrupting critical development processes.

The documentary, titled Operation Rising Lion, outlines the years of surveillance, intelligence gathering, and agent placement inside Iran that led up to the operation.

It also highlights cooperation between Israeli and American intelligence agencies and explores internal disagreements over the pace of Iran’s nuclear progress.

Intelligence sources interviewed for the film, including from the U.S. and the International Atomic Energy Agency, concluded the operation set Iran’s program back by several years.

The findings contrast with public claims by President Donald Trump that the program had been entirely dismantled.

The documentary, titled Operation Rising Lion, outlines the years of surveillance, intelligence gathering, and agent placement inside Iran that led up to the operation.

It also highlights cooperation between Israeli and American intelligence agencies and explores internal disagreements over the pace of Iran’s nuclear progress.

The documentary also sheds light on the disinformation efforts and diplomatic strategy used to pave the way for the campaign, revealing a more complex picture of the covert operation than previously understood.

This marks the most detailed public account to date of Israel’s June campaign and the intelligence apparatus behind one of its most ambitious operations against Iran’s nuclear program.