Mossad Chief Expresses '100% Confidence' in Iran's Nuclear Weapons Ambitions

The head of Israel's intelligence agency, Mossad, has expressed '100% confidence' that the Islamic Republic of Iran's intent in pursuing its nuclear program is still to achieve nuclear weapons. According to a report by the Associated Press, Yossi Cohen made this definitive assurance recently during confidential meetings in his country. The report, published on Wednesday evening, April 15, states that Cohen said the international community must pressure Iran to fundamentally change the terms of the JCPOA, the nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers, or to cancel it altogether. The Mossad chief described the JCPOA as 'a terrible mistake' and stated that maintaining the agreement in its current form is 'a major threat to Israel'; he argued that this agreement has allowed Iran to retain essential capabilities in its nuclear program and that the restrictions placed on Iran will expire in the coming years. Yossi Cohen stated that with the expiration of the so-called 'sunset clause' in the JCPOA, Iran could have enriched uranium to produce 'a stockpile of nuclear bombs.' The head of Israel's intelligence agency also mentioned that since the reduction of sanctions on Iran, Tehran's behavior has become 'significantly more aggressive.' He referred to Iran's policies in the Middle East, including in Syria and Lebanon. According to the Associated Press, Cohen's remarks were made in confidential discussions regarding Israeli policy, ahead of an upcoming decision by the U.S. regarding the JCPOA. The four-month deadline that Donald Trump, the U.S. President, set for 'correcting the catastrophic flaws' in the JCPOA will end on May 12. The Washington Post has recently reported that Trump will abandon the JCPOA; this assessment has also been recently reiterated by the Israeli Prime Minister. European governments involved in nuclear negotiations with Iran have recently held discussions with U.S. representatives in several European cities to examine Washington's specific requests for changes to the JCPOA; they have simultaneously held meetings with Iranian officials. European countries have emphasized the need to maintain the JCPOA and have not shown a willingness to intensify sanctions against Iran, despite requests from three European powers to the European Union for further sanctions on Iran due to Tehran's missile program. Iran has also emphasized that it is neither willing to renegotiate the JCPOA nor to engage in discussions with world powers regarding its long-range missile program. Iran considers its missile capabilities as a defensive program rather than an offensive one. Throughout the lengthy nuclear negotiations prior to the JCPOA and after reaching this agreement in July 2015, Iran has denied seeking nuclear weapons, deeming it contrary to its religious principles, and claims there is a fatwa from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran, on this matter. Meanwhile, Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, who arrived in Baku, Azerbaijan, for a mid-term meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement's foreign ministers, stated that the Trump administration is 'destroying achievements in the fight against nuclear weapons.' The '100% confidence' of the head of Mossad regarding Iran's intent to acquire nuclear weapons, which has also been reflected in recent statements by Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, comes at a time when several former military and intelligence officials in Israel do not consider the cancellation of the JCPOA to be in Israel's interests. Four former chiefs of staff of the Israeli army, two of whom have also served as defense ministers, deemed the cancellation of the JCPOA a mistake two weeks ago during a meeting with Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper. Shaul Mofaz, a former chief of staff of the Israeli army, who is one of the four chiefs opposed to the cancellation of the JCPOA, also revealed that in 2005, when he was the Minister of Defense in Ariel Sharon's government, John Bolton, the then U.S. representative to the United Nations, attempted to convince him that Israel should attack Iran's nuclear facilities. Mofaz, who was born in Tehran, added that 'an attack on Iran, now or at any other time, by any party, is not the right thing to do unless there is a completely tangible threat.' Bolton has recently been appointed by Donald Trump as the U.S. National Security Advisor. Israeli officials have described Bolton's appointment, as well as Mike Pompeo's appointment as U.S. Secretary of State, as encouraging ahead of the U.S. decision regarding the JCPOA, expressing confidence that the U.S. is on the verge of exiting the JCPOA. Israel, whose intelligence chief has speculated on Iran's nuclear program, has been suspected of possessing nuclear warheads for decades; however, Israel claims it deliberately keeps this capability ambiguous to maintain its deterrent power against enemies. This country is also not a member of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Analysts in Israel emphasize that this country, unlike the Islamic Republic of Iran, which calls for 'wiping Israel off the map' and writes this slogan on its missiles, has never threatened to destroy another country.