The IDF had an alternative "shadow command" standing by during the 12-day war with Iran to ensure operational continuity if a counter-attack from Tehran took out the military's command structure.
The "Shadow General Staff," headed by Deputy Chief of Staff Major General Tamir Yadai and staffed by generals in the reserves, was updated regarding the IDF attack plans and moved to a secret location ahead of the June 13 opening strike on Iran's nuclear program, Hebrew media reported on Monday.
The secretive team, which was disconnected from the IDF's regular communication infrastructure to prevent cyberattacks and physical intrusions of its base, was meant to be activated only in case of a complete loss of command, a scenario that did not materialise.
Ynet noted that some of the ballistic missiles and drones launched by the Islamic Republic over the course of the conflict targeted the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv.
In one instance, a projectile hit the area around the nearby Da Vinci Towers and the Azrieli Center shopping mall, but others were largely intercepted.
According to a report in the Telegraph, Iran's ballistic missiles scored direct hits on five other military facilities in Israel.
Jerusalem's opening strikes in Iran, meanwhile, wiped out the country's top military command, including the chief of staff of Tehran's army, with additional senior military officials killed during the subsequent 12 days of fighting.
One particularly audacious operation saw much of the senior leadership of the IRGC gathered in a high-rise block for a fake phone call, orchestrated by Mossad, only to be hit by an Israeli strike.
According to sources familiar with the operation, the security service initiated a targeted disinformation effort days before the strike.
Using falsified communications through Iranian channels, they triggered what appeared to be an emergency meeting.
The ruse successfully drew the entire senior leadership of Iran’s IRGC Aerospace Force, including Commander General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, his deputies, and key technical personnel, into a fortified bunker outside Tehran.
However, Israel’s Channel 12 News reported last week that the Iranian regime had come "very close" to assassinating Defense Minister Israel Katz with the help of two Jewish Israelis, who were arrested in April on suspicion of security-related offenses committed on Tehran's behalf.
