Red Wedding: Israel's ‘Game of Thrones’ style mission that wiped out Iran's security, nuclear top brass
In midnight ops by Israel on June 13, more than 30 Iranian security officials, 11 nuclear scientists were killed in missions dubbed ‘Red Wedding’ and 'Narnia'.
The fantasy novel series 'The Chronicles of Narnia' and the devastating 'Red Wedding' from the Game of Thrones -- Israel's huge blow to Iran's nuclear and military establishment as well as top security officials in Iran was peppered with pop culture references.
In a midnight operation by Israel on June 13, more than 30 senior Iranian security officials were killed. The mission, dubbed ‘Red Wedding,’ aimed to eliminate Iran’s top military leadership in one devastating blow — a reference to the infamous massacre scene in popular series Game of Thrones. The elaborate plans that went behind this operation reportedly date back to decades, include a sabotage plan, a spy network in Iran and the setting up of drone bases that would cripple Iran's air defence systems in future.
Another simultaneous strike, part of a second operation known as 'Operation Narnia', took out senior Iranian nuclear scientists at their homes in Tehran — a plan so audacious that its planners named it after the fictional CS Lewis series.
A Wall Street Journal report details accounts of many former US and Israeli officials, shedding light on how Israel aimed at a double whammy for Iran.
Decades of planning, one deadly night
Israel identified Iran's nuclear weapons program in the mid-90s and had placed many agents in Iran as part of its ambitions to wipe out the nuclear establishments. Israel soon realised that it was important to hurt Iran through the air, but that was a slippery slope.
The targets Israel planned to attack were over 1,000 miles away, which meant its pilots would require intense training on how to position multiple aircraft in the air so the missile struck within 20 seconds of each other for maximum impact, and also understand how would refueling take place in the air.
The refusal of PM Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet ministers to the Iran attack plans given the US's more diplomatic approach back then, and the inaccessibility of the Syrian airspace due to a heavy Iranian influence back then, also posed problems for Israel.
However, things changed in the two years following the October 7 Hamas attack. Israel dealt a huge blow Iran's proxies -- Hamas in Gaza, the Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen.
With Syria's Bashar Al-Assad regime toppled in December last year and an anti-Iranian regime replacing it, the Israeli planes' flying problem was also solved.
A ruse, then attack
An elaborate ruse played out by Israel, reminiscent of the 'Red Wedding' in Game of Thrones series, led to the killing of more than 30 senior Iran security officials on June 13, damaging the country's aerial defences and destabilising its ability to respond in the early hours of the conflict.
However, the midnight attack plan was finalised four days ago on June 9, even as Israeli officials played out in the media that they were having differences with the US on the Iran attack plans, the WSJ report said.
Even on the day of the attack, June 13, US President Donald Trump suggested that he didn’t want the Israelis “going in", and that an agreement between the US and Iran was almost done.
All the while, Benjamin Netanyahu's office maintained that he would taking the weekend off for his eldest son's wedding on June 16. But, not even Netanyahu's family knew that he had planned to delay the ceremony.
“We remain committed to a Diplomatic Resolution to the Iran Nuclear Issue!" Trump had posted when Israel was getting its jets ready for the attack on Iran.
Did the cover blow?
Once Israel finalised the attack plans, Mossad agents covertly transported components for hundreds of explosive-laden quadcopter drones into Iran, using suitcases, trucks, and shipping containers to avoid detection.
Small, covert teams equipped with the drones positioned themselves near key Iranian air-defense systems and missile launch sites, so they could neutralise the defence systems after Israel attacked.
In the final moments before execution, Israel's plans, effectively planned over decades, almost failed, as it noticed Iran's air force scrambling.
However, to Israel's surprise, Iranian officials gathered in one place, making it easier for Israel to take them out at once.
Israel understood that crippling the nuclear establishments alone would not be sufficient, and that it was important to wipe the brains out behind them.
Hence, an 'Operation Narnia', codenamed based on the CS Lewis-authored book series was in also place, bombing nuclear scientists’ homes in Tehran. According to news agency Reuters, 11 senior nuclear scientists were killed. Israel carried out simultaneous attacks giving them no chance to go into hiding.
Israel's ‘kill list’ was prepared in November 2024 with 120 intelligence and air force officials listing 250 targets, including nuclear scientists, Iranian missile launchers and military officials.
Iran's nuclear establishments, including its Isfahan enrichment plant, were hit by Israeli strikes, and later two more of its sites - Fordow and Natanz, were bombed by the US. However, the total damage to these sites is yet to be ascertained.
