The late Eliezer Tsafrir, ex-MOSSAD Station Chief in Iran.
By agency reports
Eliezer Tsafrir, the legendary MOSSAD Station Chief in Iran who orchestrated a daring escape just as the Islamic Revolution erupted in 1979, has died at the age of 92.
Tsafrir was one of Israel’s most prominent intelligence operatives, serving for decades in the shadows.
His most famous assignment was as the MOSSAD’s final chief in Tehran, a position he held as the Shah’s regime crumbled and Ayatollah Khomeini’s forces seized power, turning a key ally into a mortal enemy.
For months, Tsafrir managed a perilous intelligence operation from within the growing chaos, his mission shifted from gathering intelligence to organizing the escape of endangered Israeli operatives and local Jewish assets.
His tenure culminated in a dramatic evacuation as revolutionary fervor closed in.
Reflecting on those final days, Tsafrir later provided a quote that has become etched in Israeli intelligence history, “I was the last Israeli to leave Tehran, I was on the last plane to leave Tehran, on February 10, 1979, the revolutionary guards entered the airport as we took off.
The flight was a Swissair plane to Zurich, carrying the last remnants of the Israeli presence as the new revolutionary regime took control.
Born in Romania in 1931, Tsafrir immigrated to Israel in 1944, he joined the MOSSAD in the 1960s and served in numerous covert roles across the globe, including postings in Ethiopia and Turkey.
However, his service in Iran during its most dramatic pivot remains his defining chapter.
Following his return to Israel, Tsafrir continued his intelligence work before retiring, in later years, he occasionally spoke publicly about the MOSSAD’s operations and the strategic loss of Iran as an ally.
Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid hailed Tsafrir as a brave warrior who operated in the deepest shadows for the security of Israel. His story, from the last plane out of Tehran, is a testament to the courage and resourcefulness of our intelligence community.
Tsafrir is survived by his wife, two children, and grandchildren. His death marks the passing of a man who witnessed, and shaped, a pivotal moment in Middle Eastern history, escaping just as the door between two nations slammed shut for decades to come.
That shut door is about to be reopened shortly.
