Veteran military commentator Yossi Melman, who from time to time, publishes articles in Haaretz on military and intelligence issues, summarized his conclusions about the mysterious meeting of Israeli and Italian intelligence officials aboard a boat that capsized in stormy weather last week, leading to the death of four people, including a retired Mossad agent.

Was the fact that the captain’s wife was of Russian origin related to the theory that the intelligence agents were reportedly monitoring Russian oligarchs in the area? Is her death in the disaster an indicator of foul play? Read Melman’s summary below:

“Here’s my summary, based on the Italian media and my own assessments of the operation that ended in the death of a Mossad agent in Lake Maggiore in northern Italy last week,” he wrote. “The operation was carried out in cooperation with AISE, Agenzia Informazioni Sicureeza Esterna, Italy’s foreign intelligence service, which further strengthens the understanding that the operation’s focus was Iran.”

“Eight Italian intelligence officers and 12 Mossad agents participated in the operation. The operation was focused on thwarting Iran’s plans to purchase components, equipment and information for its nuclear, missile, and drone projects. Such operations by the Mossad – alone or in coordination with peer organizations – have been ongoing for at least two decades in many parts of the world, with their role being to thwart and sabotage Iran’s purchase of equipment.”

“The newspaper Corriere della Sera reported that the operation was directed against Russian oligarchs who live in the region and were involved in the purchase of components or in the transfer of funds to finance the supply of Iranian missiles to Russia in the war against Ukraine. As we know, Iran has become the largest supplier of missiles to the Russian army, and as a result, the strategic partnership between Tehran and Moscow has become stronger. Consequently, the interest of Israeli intelligence in Iranian-Russian ties is also increasing. Israeli intelligence also transmits information – directly or indirectly through NATO countries – about the capabilities of the Iranian drones and their performance.”

“In the past, Iranian procurement chains tried to obtain industrial plants and dual-use equipment in northern Italy and neighboring Switzerland for ostensibly civilian use but in actuality for military use. I assume that in such an operation, the CIA was involved, which works in close coordination with the Mossad and Italian intelligence, as well as with other intelligence communities of NATO countries, with all of them trying to thwart the Iranian procurement. Reports from Israeli sources say that the Mossad agent who drowned tried to save two women who were on the ship, which in in my estimation, shows that female Mossad agents also participated in the operation.”

“Such an operation, even if it was successful – and according to the reports in Italy it did succeed – from the moment it was exposed, one way or another, arouses attention and can harm operations. And this is because it can be assumed that Russia and Iran, on whom the media’s attention was focused, will begin to ask questions, potentially hindering the operation and impeding future operations.”

The boat disaster and the four deaths.

“This was a tragic disaster in which four people perished [the Mossad agent, two Italian intelligence officers, and the captain’s wife] at the end of a social gathering evening after a successful operation. Initially, due to the lack of information, rumors spread. What captured the imagination is the fact that the wife of the Italian captain, who drowned, was of Russian origin. But I’m telling you – forget all the conspiracies. The world of intelligence is indeed full of intrigue and conspiracies and fraudulent operations and even the spread of disinformation. But, the ability of people or even organizations to carry out sophisticated operations that will foresee the outcome five or six steps ahead is limited. Ultimately, the truth is revealed and comes to light. Therefore, what happened in the lake is exactly what was described in the media – a disaster – not sabotage or murder. It was a disaster that occurred due to the weather and the negligence of the captain who made a mistake in judgment.”

“To conclude on a personal note, last week I contacted the military censor, as is customary, and submitted a request to be allowed to publish the first letter of the name of the Mossad agent who drowned in the disaster. The Italian media reported that his name was “Erez Shimoni” – but that wasn’t his real name. It’s customary in the Mossad to use a cover name during operations. The censor made it clear that it is forbidden to grant me the approval to publish the first letter of his actual name since Mossad regulations ban the publication of identifying information about active or even retired Mossad personnel.”

“I respected the censor’s instructions. But then I realized that Channel 12 News announced that the late Mossad agent’s name begins with the letter M. He also stated that M. belonged to the Mossad’s Tevel wing – the wing that deals with the Mossad’s foreign relations with fellow intelligence organizations, governments and foreign or supranational governmental organizations. In fact, the Mossad has connections with more than 140 such bodies – more than the Foreign Ministry. The relationships are at varying levels of closeness and cooperation. Ties with the CIA are of course very close, while ties with Chinese intelligence, for example, are extremely distant – but they exist.”

“I don’t know if Channel 12 got approval from the censor or not. Either way, M., who was buried last week in Ashkelon – his friends were present at the levaya and Mossad head Dedi Barnea was maspid him – indeed worked for many years in Tevel and was an Arabic speaker.”

“M. recently retired from the Mossad but it’s very common in the Mossad to continue to employ retirees on the basis of special contracts in headquarters positions as well as in operations in the field – especially if they have the necessary professional qualifications and skills. M., a humble person and well-liked by his friends, also had technical skills. I don’t know if he was sent to the operation where he met his tragic death by virtue of being a contact of Italian intelligence officials or because of his technical skills or both.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)