The recently retired head of the Israeli spy agency Mossad has revealed in an interview his country’s operations against Iran.
UC Cohen revealed details of theft of Iran’s nuclear documents.
In 2018, millions of documents were stolen from Iran and sent to Israel.
He also hinted at Israeli involvement in the destruction of an Iranian nuclear plant and the assassination of a nuclear scientist.
Cohen retired as Mossad chief last week.
He spoke to journalist Elana Diane in a documentary on Israel’s Channel 12 that aired Thursday night.
The most eye-catching moments in the interview were when he was talking about the theft of Iran’s nuclear documents.
Benjamin Netanyahu told about these files during a press conference in 2018. He said it showed that Iran was secretly trying to build a nuclear weapon and that it had secretly obtained information to do so.
Cohen said in an interview that it took him two years to plan the operation. Journalist Ilana Dia said it included a total of 20 Mossad agents on Iranian soil, none of whom were Israeli citizens.
The Mossad chief watched the entire operation from a command center in Tel Aviv. Agents broke into a warehouse and broke into 30 lockers. According to the Times of Israel, he said, “It was a very exciting moment for all of us when pictures of documents came on the screen.”
He added that all 20 agents were safe and sound in the operation, but some had to be expelled from Iran.
Interview full of amazing details
It is not uncommon for former Mossad chief to give interviews or express their views on issues in the knowledge of the press, but UC Cohen’s comments are surprising because they go into so much detail.
Like a thriller novel, Cohen recounted how agents broke into vaults, stole tons of Iranian nuclear documents, and escorted them out of the country, evading pursuing security personnel.
He also came close to admitting that Israel had destroyed an Iranian underground nuclear plant.
However, the interview was measured and must have been conducted by Israeli military censors. Its timing is also very interesting. This comes at a time when talks between Iran and world powers on the resumption of the nuclear deal are beginning to show signs of progress.
It also sends a message to Israel’s enemies that Mossad is willing to work deep inside the enemy’s borders.
Israel has spoken openly about stealing millions of documents, but UC Cohen has hinted at Mossad’s involvement in operations that have so far only been suspected of having an Israeli hand.
Iran says a sabotage operation at a uranium enrichment plant caught fire in July 2020.
Just a day after the new equipment was unveiled in April this year, officials said it had been sabotaged and severely damaged.
UC Cohen told reporter Elena Diane in an interview that she knew the site well and could take her to the hall where “rotating centrifuges are installed.” Then he said: ‘Those who used to go around. Now that hall is not what it used to be.
He also spoke about Iran’s top nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizada, who was assassinated on a road outside Tehran last November.
The former Mossad chief did not confirm or deny involvement, but said the scientists had been targeted for “many years” and that their scientific knowledge was a source of concern to Mossad.
“If a person has the potential to endanger the lives of Israeli citizens, that person must be extinct.”
But he added that “if anyone is willing to change his position and not harm us further, he can be spared.”