Israel's Mossad, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), and the Shin Bet domestic security service alleged on Monday that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) smuggled explosive drones from Iran through Turkey and into Cyprus as part of what they described as a "covert global terror network that also targeted military bases on the island." The allegations were reported by the Cyprus Mail.
A Network Spanning Multiple Countries
According to the Israeli agencies, the alleged IRGC operation stretched across Azerbaijan, Turkey, Greece and several other European countries. Israeli authorities stated that an Azerbaijani national travelling on a British passport was charged with espionage and terrorism offences in Cyprus last June, following a tip-off from Israeli intelligence. Separately, another Azerbaijani national travelling on a Polish passport was arrested in Crete in June 2025 on espionage charges, after alleged surveillance operations were conducted against the Souda naval base there. The network also allegedly gathered intelligence on the US Air Force's Incirlik base in Adana, Turkey, and targeted the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline.
Key Operative: 'The Doctor'
Israeli agencies identified Mehdi Yekeh-Dehghan, known within the network as "the Doctor," as the operative responsible for directing activity in Cyprus and Azerbaijan. His role first came to light in January 2026 following the arrest of an operational cell in Turkey. Under his alleged direction, that cell worked to move explosive drones from Iran through Turkey and onward into Cyprus.
IRGC Unit 4000
Israel described the network as operating under IRGC Unit 4000, the Special Operations Division of the IRGC's intelligence organisation, led by Rahman Moqadam. Israeli authorities characterised the unit as "responsible for directing terrorist activity outside Iran," designed to "conduct terror activity at arm's length from Tehran in order to avoid diplomatic, legal and economic consequences."
Moqadam was killed at the start of the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran, which began on 28 February. IRGC intelligence chief Majid Khademi was also reportedly killed during that campaign. Mohsen Suri, another Unit 4000 operative, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on an IRGC safehouse, guided by joint Mossad and Shin Bet intelligence.
Israeli Assessment
Israeli agencies framed the exposure of the network as demonstrating "Iran's clear failure to create plausible deniability." The Cypriot government has not publicly commented on the Israeli allegations. Cyprus, as a European Union member state with a history of sensitivity around its use as a regional transit point, is likely to face questions about the extent to which the alleged operation went undetected on its soil.
