New revelations in the Ron Arad case: Israel kidnapped and interrogated Iranian generals; the answer to his fate - probably in Lebanon
A New York Times investigation reveals that the Mossad kidnapped and interrogated two Iranian generals in the search for Ron Arad. One was kidnapped in a refrigerator crate in Damascus, the other disappeared in Istanbul and was eliminated. A secret Hezbollah and Iran report determines that Arad died in 1988 in Nabi Sheet. In Israel, the assessment is growing that he was never held in Iran.
A comprehensive New York Times investigation reveals new revelations in the Ron Arad affair, marking four decades since his capture. According to the investigation, the Mossad kidnapped and interrogated two Iranian generals during the search for the Israeli navigator. One, General Abdullah Saberi, was kidnapped in Damascus inside a refrigerator crate, interrogated, and dumped in South Africa. The other, General Ali-Reza Asgari, disappeared in Istanbul in 2006; former senior American officials revealed that he was interrogated for weeks by the Mossad and then eliminated, with his body thrown into the Black Sea. The investigation is based on interviews with dozens of sources from Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Israel, and the US. At its center is the prevailing assessment in Israel today: Ron Arad was never held in Iran, and his fate lies in Lebanon. A secret Hezbollah and Iran report determined that Arad died in 1988 in the village of Nabi Sheet, where he was also buried. The investigation quotes former Israeli officials, including former Shin Bet head Yuval Diskin, who stated that all conclusions about a transfer to Iran were wrong.