Ex-Mossad Chief: Israel Hit Nuke Program ‘Countless Times’ in Iran’s Heartland
Israel had carried out “countless operations” in Iran’s heartland, former Mossad head Yossi Cohen said on Monday.
“During my term as Mossad director, countless operations were conducted against Iran’s nuclear program,” he said at an event marking the 125th anniversary of the First Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland.
He added the Mossad “had many successes in the fight against Iran’s nuclear program.”
“We operated around the world and on Iranian soil itself, in the very heartland of the ayatollahs.”
According to Cohen, the Islamic Republic was “lying to the whole world” about its nuclear program.
“The Iranian regime is lying to the whole world and we proved it when we brought thousands of documents from the Iranian archives, documents that proved that the Iranians lied to the IAEA,” he said, referring to the U.N. nuclear watchdog.
“This regime calls for the destruction of the State of Israel and wiping it off of the map. We can never allow a regime that calls for our destruction to get its finger on the nuclear trigger,” he said.
“Iran seeks to circle Israel from all sides, from Gaza in the south to Lebanon and Syria in the north. It funds, trains and arms terrorist groups like Hezbollah, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad, enabling them to shoot thousands of rockets at Israel’s civilian population,” Cohen said.
“This fanatical regime must never obtain the ability to accelerate its weapon of mass destruction that would be used against the Jewish state,” he added.
Current Mossad director David Barnea said in recent days the nascent nuclear deal is a “strategic disaster” that is “based on lies.”
“The agreement is a bad deal that gives Iran a license to manufacture a bomb,” Barnea was quoted by Hebrew media as saying.
Echoing earlier comments made Prime Minister Yair Lapid, Barnea said Israel has no obligation to be party to the agreement.
“The Mossad is committed to preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. The agreement does not apply to Israel, nor does the freedom of action to continue operating,” he said.
Lapid on Sunday said both the Israeli military and the Mossad are on standby and “ready for any scenario.”
“We will be prepared to act militarily to preserve Israel’s security. The Americans understand this, the world understands this, and Israeli society should also know it,” Lapid said.
