Spy vs Spy?

Tehran (Hebrew, Persian, English; 2020)

Miniseries (S1-3, 24 Episodes)

https://www.apple.com/uk/tv-pr/originals/tehran/

It used to be that the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Israel decided to align itself with Iran. Surrounded by hostile Arab neighbours and trapped in the centre, these two non-Arabs—Jews and Persians—found common ground in each other. Secretly, they supported and assisted one another, fostering a discreet alliance. Their relationship dates back to the time of Nebuchadnezzar.

Even after the Islamic invasion and its golden age, Jews remained involved until the era of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran. Iran was one of the first countries globally to recognise Israel as a sovereign state. It was said that Israel and Iran shared intelligence secrets and collaborated on developing each other's nuclear facilities. Iran compensated Israel with Iranian oil for assistance. The Islamic clerics within Iran were sympathetic to the Palestinian cause. Iranians began to view their monarchy as a pawn in the American imperial chess game. Everything changed when the people rose against the Shah, encouraged by the clerics, in 1979, leading to Iran becoming the Islamic Republic. Overnight, Israel became Iran's enemy for occupying Palestine. The Republic, emboldened by the success of the first Islamic Republic, sought to position itself as the de facto leader of the Islamic world by promoting Islamic causes. They even claimed that Israelis should be wiped off the surface of the planet.

Iranian-supported militias operate across many parts of the Middle East — Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas within Palestine (antagonistic to the PLO but allied with the Muslim Brotherhood), and Houthis in Yemen. On one level, there appears to be a Shia-Sunni division in their aims. Iran does not see any reason for Saudi Arabia to lead the Muslim world. The split within the religion mainly concerns internal control, but when facing a common enemy, the Shia-Sunni divide becomes less clear. For example, in Palestine, Shia Iranians support Hamas, the Sunni Palestinians. The Muslim Brotherhood is Sunni. In Yemen, the conflict with Saudi Arabia is often viewed simply as a Sunni Shia war. Of course, American influence in Saudi oil is frequently blamed for all problems. Jews are usually considered everyone's primary enemies. Terrorists often cite obscure parts of the Quran, such as where a Jewish tribe betrays the Prophet or about the End of Days and a rock whispering to Muslims to kill Jews hiding behind it to justify their reckless violence against Jews.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8339854/

This is a gripping Israeli espionage miniseries about a Mossad operative of Iranian descent who infiltrates the Iranian elite to sabotage their radar system so the Israeli air force can bomb their nuclear plant. If it had succeeded, the entire operation would have ended in the first episode. Unfortunately, the whole plan was compromised by Israeli internal agents. Mossad now must rely on its intelligence to complete the mission.

It's a classic spy versus spy scenario, as both sides of the intelligence community hold many cards close to their chest. Coincidentally, I remember a time not so long ago when Mossad deployed a computer virus to sabotage Iran’s nuclear facilities. The prospect of a hostile atomic nation within firing range sends shivers down the spines of Israelis. The world has also heard of Mossad planting an explosive device in Tehran three months before top Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh came for an official visit and was placed at a guest house at a supposedly secret location, with the Israelis remotely aiming a missile to kill him. The truth is that there is plenty of espionage, counterespionage, double-crossing, and wheeling and dealing happening between the two countries. The world remains perplexed by how such an elaborate operation could be carried out with such surgical precision.

This miniseries probably stems from their extensive history of international intelligence operations. Sometimes, the truth is stranger than fiction.

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