The war that Israel never loses: its secret services once again carry out assassinations in Iran
Analysis Summary
This article portrays Israel's intelligence as highly effective and precise, particularly in targeted assassinations of high-level Iranian and proxy leaders mentioned in the piece. It uses interviews with an intelligence expert and detailed anecdotes to highlight Israel's strategic foresight and extensive preparation for conflict, framing these operations as a successful national security tool. While acknowledging ethical concerns, the article primarily leans on authority figures to present these actions as a pragmatic necessity, downplaying broader geopolitical consequences, international legal issues, or civilian casualties mentioned.
Cross-Outlet PSYOP Detected
This article is part of a narrative being pushed across multiple outlets:
FATE Analysis
Four dimensions of psychological manipulation: how content captures Focus, exploits Authority, triggers Tribal identity, and engineers Emotion.
Focus signals
"Benjamin Netanyahu’s government launched its previous war against Iran in June 2025 with a surprise wave of so-called “targeted assassinations.”"
The article begins with a future-dated event framed as a 'surprise,' immediately grabbing attention and suggesting something extraordinary and unprecedented happened or will happen. The use of 'surprise wave' creates a novelty spike.
"Bergman recounts these details to illustrate how Israel’s intelligence services have not only carried out targeted assassinations at the highest levels (including, for the first time, a head of state, Khamenei) since the Hamas attack of October 2023, but also maintain such a robust network of capabilities that they can continue to do so..."
Highlighting the 'first time' assassination of a head of state frames this as an extraordinary and significant development, intended to capture and hold the reader's attention due to its unprecedented nature.
Authority signals
"“Their intelligence services knew who they were meeting with and where. Morning and evening,” says Ronen Bergman, a prominent Israeli journalist specializing in intelligence and author of the book Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel’s Targeted Assassinations, in a phone interview."
The article quotes Ronen Bergman, presented as a 'prominent Israeli journalist specializing in intelligence' and author of a book on targeted assassinations, to lend credibility and weight to the claims about Israeli intelligence capabilities. His credentials are used to bolster the persuasive power of the information.
"Nadav Eyal, one of Israel’s leading commentators, attributes greater significance to the assassination of Larijani, which occurred two weeks later. The former, he argued in the newspaper Yediot Aharonot, “demonstrated the profound extent of Israeli intelligence infiltration into the Iranian regime,” but also relied “on a stratagem and the element of surprise.”"
Nadav Eyal is introduced as 'one of Israel’s leading commentators,' and his analysis is used to interpret the significance of the assassinations, leveraging his perceived expertise and position to influence the reader's understanding.
"Avi Issacharoff, an Israeli journalist specializing in Palestinian affairs, former member of an elite unit, and co-author of the popular television series Fauda, points out that, despite being “a source of great satisfaction for the Israeli population and even for the media,” they “have failed to bring about tangible changes.”"
Avi Issacharoff's background as an 'Israeli journalist specializing in Palestinian affairs, former member of an elite unit, and co-author of the popular television series Fauda' is used to establish his authority and insight, adding weight to his assessment of the effectiveness of targeted assassinations, even when presenting a nuanced view.
Tribe signals
"Benjamin Netanyahu’s government launched its previous war against Iran..."
The framing immediately establishes a clear 'us vs. them' dynamic between Netanyahu's government (representing Israel) and Iran, setting up the conflict as between two distinct entities.
"And even outside of Israel, everything related to its espionage evokes a mixture of fascination (for the most daring operations) and revulsion, including because of the many collateral victims who remain outside the headlines. This is especially true when Mossad is involved. Books, films, and television series have contributed to this perception that it is present in everything that happens on all five continents, feeding both those who benefit from its fearsome image of ubiquity and the anti-Semites who always see a mysterious Jewish hand behind everything."
This paragraph introduces the 'anti-Semites' who 'always see a mysterious Jewish hand behind everything,' attempting to categorize and discredit potential critics or those with differing interpretations by associating them with a loaded term. This weaponizes identity to preemptively dismiss certain viewpoints.
"In Israel, these targeted assassinations mostly generate satisfaction, pride, and a sense of redemptive revenge, despite their illegality and ethical problems."
This statement claims that 'in Israel, these targeted assassinations mostly generate satisfaction, pride, and a sense of redemptive revenge,' creating an impression of widespread agreement and positive sentiment within a national group, potentially to influence the reader's perception regardless of the actions' legality or ethics.
Emotion signals
"Israel killed the Secretary of the National Security Council and a key figure in the regime in one of the various residences he frequented to sleep undetected. On the night of Monday the 16th, Israeli intelligence received information that Larijani was in a house on the outskirts of the capital, a place he rarely visited, according to leaks to the local press. The air force simultaneously dropped 20 one-ton bombs (which destroy everything for dozens of meters around them), also killing one of his sons."
The detail about dropping '20 one-ton bombs (which destroy everything for dozens of meters around them), also killing one of his sons' is highly descriptive of violence and collateral damage. While reporting facts, the graphic detail is chosen and presented in a way that is disproportionate to simply stating the assassination, aiming to evoke outrage or strong emotional response regarding the methods and consequences.
"The attack plunged Hezbollah into a state of panic. In those days, every electronic device—especially in the hands of foreign journalists—was considered a potential explosive."
The phrase 'plunged Hezbollah into a state of panic' and the subsequent description of fear surrounding 'every electronic device' are designed to underscore the severity and psychological impact of the operations, potentially creating a sense of fear or unease about the immense power demonstrated.
"And even outside of Israel, everything related to its espionage evokes a mixture of fascination (for the most daring operations) and revulsion, including because of the many collateral victims who remain outside the headlines."
This sentence directly states evoking 'a mixture of fascination... and revulsion,' indicating an intentional attempt to elicit contrasting and strong emotional responses from the reader, moving between awe for 'daring operations' and disgust for 'collateral victims.' This emotional contrast can heighten overall engagement.
Narrative Analysis (PCP)
How the article reshapes thinking: Perception (what beliefs are targeted), Context (what information is shifted or omitted), and Permission (what behavior is being encouraged).
The article aims to install the belief that Israel's intelligence capabilities are extraordinarily robust, precise, and effective, particularly in targeted assassinations of high-level Iranian and proxy leaders. It suggests that Israel's strategic foresight and long-term preparation for conflict have resulted in an unparalleled intelligence network. The article also wants the reader to believe that these targeted killings, while perhaps ethically questionable, are a primary and effective tool of Israeli foreign policy and national security.
The article constructs a context where continuous, high-precision targeted assassinations, even those of heads of state, are presented as a sophisticated and necessary component of Israel's national security strategy in the Middle East. It frames these operations as a natural extension of 'covert war' and long-term geopolitical competition. The context shift emphasizes Israel's agency and capabilities while framing its adversaries as vulnerable targets.
The article largely omits the broader geopolitical consequences, international legal condemnations, and potential for escalation stemming from these assassinations, particularly the killing of a head of state. It also downplays the civilian casualties that often occur in such large-scale bombings (e.g., '20 one-ton bombs... also killing one of his sons'). The focus is overwhelmingly on Israel's operational success and intelligence prowess, rather than the humanitarian or political fallout for the region or the international community. It also omits the perspective of affected populations or the specific legal frameworks these actions violate, outside of a brief mention of 'illegality and ethical problems' which it immediately follows by 'satisfaction, pride, and a sense of redemptive revenge'.
The article implicitly grants permission for the reader to view Israel's extensive use of targeted assassinations and advanced intelligence operations as an effective, if ruthless, method of national security. It encourages an acceptance of these operations as a pragmatic necessity in a volatile region, and potentially fosters a sense of awe or grudging respect for Israel's intelligence capabilities, even when acknowledging ethical issues.
SMRP Pattern
Four manipulation maintenance tactics: Socializing the idea as normal, Minimizing concerns, Rationalizing with logic, and Projecting blame.
"In Israel, these targeted assassinations mostly generate satisfaction, pride, and a sense of redemptive revenge, despite their illegality and ethical problems."
"Despite Khamenei’s symbolic, political, and religious importance, Nadav Eyal, one of Israel’s leading commentators, attributes greater significance to the assassination of Larijani, which occurred two weeks later."
"“If you believe that one day you will go to war, or have a limited confrontation, you understand that you need to prepare well in advance and in a way that goes beyond simply gathering information,” Bergman explains."
Red Flags
High-severity indicators: silencing dissent, coordinated messaging, or weaponizing identity to shut down debate.
"Ronen Bergman, a prominent Israeli journalist specializing in intelligence and author of the book Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel’s Targeted Assassinations, in a phone interview."
Techniques Found(3)
Specific propaganda techniques identified using the SemEval-2023 academic taxonomy of 23 techniques across 6 categories.
"Netanyahu decided to transform the Middle East with fire and sword"
The phrase 'transform the Middle East with fire and sword' is highly emotionally charged and evokes imagery of violent conquest and destruction. It assigns an extreme and aggressive motive to Netanyahu's actions, going beyond a neutral description of military engagement.
"Israel then began preparing 'for a war it believed would certainly happen sooner or later (with Hezbollah); another that might happen, with Iran; and one that would never happen, with Hamas.'"
This quote exaggerates the certainty and inevitability of war with Hezbollah and the unlikelihood of war with Hamas, particularly in retrospect. The certainty implied ('certainly happen') and the absolute negation ('would never happen') serve to frame the historical context in a way that minimizes the intelligence failures regarding Hamas.
"In Tehran, almost all traffic cameras had been hacked for years."
The use of 'almost all' presents a near-total certainty which, without specific data, serves to exaggerate the scope and depth of the cyber infiltration, making it seem more pervasive than might be factually verifiable.