TEHRAN – In a possible admission of strategic failure, the Israeli regime announced the dissolution of its flagship military unit tasked with countering Iran.

Hours after assuming command, Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir declared the closure of the Strategy and Third-Circle Directorate, a body established to “neutralize” Iran’s influence.

Framed as a bureaucratic reshuffle to “improve effectiveness in addressing Iran, foreign relations, and strategy,” analysts argue the move instead highlights Israel’s inability to confront Iran’s military and intelligence prowess—a reality underscored by Tehran’s recent battlefield triumphs and penetration of the regime’s defenses.

The downfall of Tel Aviv’s ‘Iran Command’
  
Established in 2020 under former Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi’s “Tnufa” doctrine, the Directorate was created to consolidate the IOF’s efforts against third-circle enemies—those outside its immediate borders—with Iran as the primary focus.

Dubbed the “Iran Command,” its role encompassed coordinating intelligence, cyber, and military operations aimed at countering Tehran’s influence in the region.

The Directorate's structure included two key divisions that were initially part of the Planning Directorate. The first was the Strategic Division, which was responsible for both short-term and long-term operational planning.

This division was supposed to ensure that strategic goals were met and that the IOF remained prepared for various scenarios.

The second was the International Cooperation Division (ICD), which handled the IOF's relations with foreign armed forces, peacekeeping units, and international organizations.

In addition, the unit includes the Iran Headquarters—led by an officer holding the rank of Aluf Mishne (Colonel)—which coordinated all military activities regarding Iran.

Since September 2023, the Directorate was led by Aluf Eliezer Toledano. Despite its high-profile mandate, the unit’s record is fraught with failures, highlighting the complexity of countering a seasoned and adaptable regional actor like Iran.

Far from “curtailing Tehran’s influence,” the unit oversaw a period of unprecedented setbacks for Tel Aviv, culminating in its humiliating failure to counter Operation True Promise 2 in October 2024. 

The operation, a precision missile barrage launched by Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC), marked a watershed moment.

Hundreds of ballistic missiles—including advanced hypersonic Fattah-1 models—struck Israeli military and intelligence sites, bypassing U.S.-backed air defenses with an almost 90% success rate.

The strikes, hailed as a righteous retaliation for the Israeli regime’s assassinations of Resistance leaders, revealed critical shortcomings in Tel Aviv’s strategic planning and reportedly caught key Israeli military leaders off guard.

Intelligence meltdown: espionage and cyberattacks expose Israeli weakness
 
The directorate’s collapse mirrors broader systemic failures within Israel’s security apparatus. According to Shin Bet’s 2024 annual report, espionage cases linked to Iran surged by 400%, with 27 settlers indicted and 13 alleged Iranian-led spy rings dismantled. High-profile arrests revealed staggering breaches:  

- Georgi Andrayev and Yuri Eliashev, reserve soldiers accused of leaking Iron Dome radar specifications to “Iranian operatives.” Eliashev, a former technician, allegedly photographed classified documents during a military base visit.

- Vladislav Viktorson and Alexander Granovsky, charged with sabotage and arson “on behalf of Iranian intelligence.”

- Seven settlers arrested in October 2024 for spying on Nevatim and Ramat David airbases, critical to Israeli regime’s atrocious military operations.  

The establishment of Ward 171, a high-security prison wing housing 26 Iran-linked detainees, symbolizes the regime’s desperation.

Israeli media, granted rare access, described it as “ground zero for an espionage crisis,” with inmates ranging from soldiers to civilians recruited via social media.

“These spies have significantly harmed national security—and we’re only seeing the tip of the iceberg,” wrote political analyst Ehud Yatom in Ma’ariv.

Cyber defenses fared no better. The regime reported 700 “thwarted Iranian cyberattacks” in 2024, yet officials privately admitted thousands more breached power grids, hospitals, and military systems.

“Iran’s cyber units operate with patience and sophistication,” wrote an Israeli cybersecurity expert on social media. “They’ve turned our infrastructure into a playground.”