- Mossad operative M., key to Operation Roaring Lion, was killed during Iran operations
- M., identified as Erez Shimoni by Israeli media, died in a boat accident in Italy in May 2023
- Operation Roaring Lion began in February 2026 as a joint Israeli-US campaign against Iran
A Mossad operative who paved the way for Israel's "Operation Roaring Lion" was killed during operations outside the country, the agency's director, David Barnea, said. Although he did not clarify who the person was, when they were killed or during which incident, following protocol for active intelligence personnel, he identified them as 'M.'.
During a Remembrance Day ceremony for Mossad's fallen, Barnea stated that the missions led by M. significantly influenced the campaign against Iran by combining "creativity, cunning, and advanced technology".
"During 'Operation Roaring Lion,' my thoughts and heart were filled with pride in the character and actions of M., who fell outside Israel while carrying out his duty," Barnea said.
He added, "The operations led by M. combined creativity, cunning, and technology and significantly influenced the success of the campaign against Iran."
Who Was 'M.'?
Israel's Channel 12 News broadcaster later identified M as a former Mossad operative who died after a tourist boat overturned on Lake Maggiore in northern Italy on May 28, 2023. Israeli media identified 'M.' as 50-year-old Erez Shimoni. When he died on 31st May, 2023, Israel's prime minister's office wrote in a statement that "due to his service in the organization, it is impossible to elaborate" on his activities.
He was killed alongside two other members of Italian intelligence and the wife of the ship's captain. He was buried in Ashkelon, and senior officials of Mossad attended his funeral wearing hats and face masks.
According to the Jerusalem Post, at the time, Barnea had described Shimoni as "a man of refined manners, a lover of humanity, kind-hearted, calm, and quiet".
"He was a man of people. Adults and youth, strangers and Israelis, always surrounded him, and he knew how to speak to them all in their language, in every sense of the word, in a calm and respectful manner," he said.
The publication reported that he had served in the Mossad for 30 years.
About Operation Roaring Lion
Operation Roaring Lion is a joint military campaign launched by Israel and the United States on February 28, 2026, against the Iranian regime. While Israel uses the codename "Roaring Lion", the US Department of Defence refers to the same campaign as Operation Epic Fury.
The operation was initiated during a period of high tension over Iran's nuclear programme and its internal crackdown on anti-government protests.
