For the past two decades, Israel’s intelligence services have been focused on preventing Iran developing a nuclear weapon. These efforts have introduced the world to a number of new technologies, for example the Stuxnet virus that infected Iran’s nuclear centrifuges, and seen a number of key Iranian scientists assassinated, latest estimates are six nuclear scientists and 17 members of the Iranian missile development team.
For a long time, Mossad has targeted Iran’s top nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fanhrizadeh, with little success. That was until November 2020. Israeli agents set up a remote controlled sniper rifle, essentially a killer robot, and assassinated the scientist. This New York Times article takes a look at the lead up to the Israeli operation (including the engagement with the Trump Administration and Israel’s efforts to complete this mission before Biden took over and shut it down) and what the introduction of this new weapons technology means for the world.
This operation introduced the high-tech, A.I-powered, computerised sharpshooter to the battlefield and it now joins the drone as the latest remote-controlled weapon reshaping the world of war. This technology is allowing countries to conduct military operations and intelligence missions remotely, which will have long-lasting effects for the worlds of security and espionage. For years, the Americans have conducted drone warfare from shipping containers in Nevada. Now the Israelis have demonstrated how targeted assassinations can be attempted in a similar fashion. Technology like this will extend the reach of intelligence services around the world and we shouldn’t expect this is the last time we hear about technology like this.
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