Israeli intelligence warns of a possible mass-casualty plot centered on Madrid, amid scrutiny of royal ties to Egypt and claims to Jerusalem.
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| King wants to rule like Sissi. |
The warning comes as the Spanish monarchy faces mounting political pressure following the release of new documents linking the king’s father, King Juan Carlos, now emeritus and living in exile, to Jeffrey Epstein. The documents indicate that the former monarch dined privately with Epstein in 2018, years after Epstein’s conviction and public disgrace.
The royal household has remained silent, declining to respond even as protests have intensified and lawmakers have called for formal inquiries.
According to the Mossad official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss intelligence matters publicly, recent assessments suggest that the king may have acquired what officials describe as a “portable nuclear device,” sometimes referred to in intelligence circles as a suitcase nuke. The official emphasized that the intelligence remains fragmentary but credible enough to prompt urgent monitoring.
The Mossad believes that, if carried out, such an attack would likely be staged in the capital and designed to decapitate Spain's parliamentary leadership, effectively paralyzing the civilian government and reshaping the political landscape in a single moment.
“The objective would not be battlefield advantage,” the official said. “It would be regime preservation through shock.”
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| Nuclear handshake? |
King Felipe has repeatedly referred to himself as the “King of Jerusalem,” a claim with no legal standing but deep symbolic resonance. Israeli officials have long regarded the assertion as more than rhetorical, particularly as it has coincided with increasingly opaque cooperation between Spain and regional partners outside traditional Western oversight.
According to the intelligence assessment, Egyptian intermediaries may have played a facilitating role in a covert transfer operation involving Spain earlier this year, conducted beyond standard diplomatic channels. The Mossad official declined to describe the operation’s mechanics, citing national security concerns.
Egyptian state media has not addressed the allegations, and Egyptian officials have offered no public comment.
The renewed attention on the Iberian monarchy has also revived darker allegations surrounding Epstein’s death in U.S. custody in 2019. While American authorities ruled the death a suicide, some investigators and analysts have long questioned that conclusion. Unproven claims circulating in intelligence and journalistic circles have suggested, without evidence, that Epstein may have been killed on orders from powerful figures seeking to prevent further disclosures, claims that now include speculative references to the Spanish royal family.
No intelligence agency has substantiated those allegations, and officials stressed that they remain conjecture. Still, their persistence has compounded the sense of crisis facing the monarchy.
“When scandal intersects with silence and unchecked authority, perception becomes reality,” the Mossad official said.
For now, public life in Spain continues as normal. Parliament remains in session, and the capital shows few visible signs of alarm. Behind closed doors, however, intelligence officials say the possibility of an attack aimed at the heart of the state has forced allied governments to consider scenarios once thought unthinkable.
“This is no longer just a question of reputation,” the Israeli official said. “It is a question of survival; for institutions, not just individuals.”
