How Iranian missile struck at the heart of Israeli cyber empire in Beer al-Sabe

A day after the Israeli regime launched multiple coordinated cyberattacks targeting Iran’s banking network and state television, Iran responded with a missile strike on what is widely regarded as the regime’s cyber capital.

On Friday morning, Iranian armed forces initiated a new wave of Operation True Promise III, striking many important Israeli military, intelligence, and industrial sites that support the regime’s aggression — whether in Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, or Iran.

One of the principal targets was Beer al-Sabe, considered the stronghold of the Israeli regime’s cyber industry and a central hub in its global cyber warfare apparatus.

According to Israeli media reports, the missile fired by Iran successfully evaded the regime’s multi-layered air defense systems. Despite initial detection, the missile intercept systems failed to neutralize the projectile.

The aftermath of the precision-guided strike showed thick plumes of smoke rising from a building reduced to rubble — identified as a key center of the Israeli cyber army.

Located near Ben-Gurion University, Beer al-Sabe is home to the Advanced Technologies Park (ATP) — a sprawling complex where the regime’s cyber warfare operations against countries like Iran are developed and coordinated.

This park houses major cybersecurity firms closely tied to the Israeli military and intelligence apparatuses, alongside multinational tech giants such as IBM, PayPal, and Oracle.

More critically, the city functions as a node for the integration of military and intelligence assets, with significant parts of Unit 8200 — Israel’s main cyber intelligence and surveillance division — based in Beer al-Sabe.

Within this ecosystem, the occupation army, private cyber firms, and academic institutions affiliated with the regime work in unison, using cyber warfare as a tool of settler-colonialism and expansionism in the region and beyond.

Ben-Gurion University itself plays a pivotal role in the regime’s cybersecurity research and collaborates extensively with its military and intelligence branches to develop offensive cyber capabilities in brazen breach of international laws.

Successive Israeli regimes have poured substantial investments into Beer al-Sabe to cement its status as the cyber capital of the Zionist entity, inviting top global cyber firms to set up operations there.

The regime has long weaponized cyberattacks to achieve its strategic objectives.

In 2009-2010, it partnered with the United States to launch a major cyberattack on Iran’s nuclear facilities — damaging centrifuges — marking one of the first known uses of cyber technology for destructive purposes, despite Iranian sites being under the UN surveillance.

Over the years, it has carried out cyberattacks on Iranian ports, fuel distribution networks, and railway systems, in blatant violation of international norms governing cyberspace.

The regime has also targeted resistance movements like Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, aiming to disrupt their communications and operations.

At the core of these operations is Unit 8200, a division that has gained notoriety for leading the Israeli military’s cyber intelligence and hacking efforts, conducting widespread surveillance, espionage, and offensive digital campaigns.

The regime has also deployed cyber tools to spy on governments and institutions around the world. Tools such as Pegasus spyware, developed by Israel’s NSO Group, have been used to covertly infiltrate mobile devices for intelligence gathering.

Given this record, regional cybersecurity officials say Friday’s Iranian missile strike on Beer al-Sabe was a long-overdue response to years of cyber aggression emanating from the city.

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