Mossad Chief: Iran is Closer to Israel's Borders than Ever Before

Yossi Cohen, the head of Mossad, stated that Iran is "one of the most important priorities" for the Israeli intelligence agency as it has come "closer to Israel's borders than ever before." According to Israeli media, Yossi Cohen spoke on Monday evening, October 2, at a ceremony attended by Mossad members and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Cohen noted that Iran's military presence in Syria, its support for Hezbollah in the "Lebanon front," the precision weapons supplied to Hezbollah, and Iran's influence over Hamas pose "great dangers" that Mossad is more prepared to counter than ever. He emphasized that alongside its "aggressive posture" in the Middle East, Iran is striving to achieve military capability in its nuclear program. According to the Jerusalem Post, Cohen also mentioned that Iran will continue to create "daily challenges for Israel and strike at this country, as well as at Israel's friends around the world." He stated that Mossad conducts "hundreds and thousands of operations annually, some of which are complex and daring, in the heart of enemy countries that are the targets of these operations." He added that Mossad has a "special ability to infiltrate the most protected and dangerous locations, and its forces return to their country after achieving their objectives." Cohen indicated that his organization operates within the framework of "a multi-year program aimed at focusing on national, security, and political priorities." He described Mossad as "a piece in the chain of the ancient Jewish nation that wants to be a model for this nation and the world." Yossi Meir (nicknamed Yossi) Cohen, 56, who previously served as the National Security Advisor to Netanyahu's government, has been the head of Mossad since December 7, 2015. During his nearly three years as head of Mossad, he has been one of the most trusted figures in Israel for Netanyahu, being sent to negotiate with Washington and Moscow to advance Israeli government objectives. Israeli media reported that at the ceremony on Monday evening, for the first time in the 68-year history of Mossad, special Prime Minister's awards were given to "elite forces" of Mossad. According to these reports, in the first year of these awards, six individuals and sections that participated in "daring operations" in the past year received the award, but Israeli media did not provide further details about the award winners and their operations. Netanyahu himself referred to Mossad as Israel's "coordinated fist" with "innovative, brave, and professional" forces and expressed gratitude for their efforts to advance Israel's goals. Netanyahu has recently expressed increasing concern about Iran's "growing military presence in Syria"; in line with these concerns, the Israeli army conducted a large eleven-day military exercise in the north of the country last month. Two weeks ago, in a speech at the United Nations General Assembly, Netanyahu described Iran and North Korea as having similar dangers for the world and insisted on the necessity of "canceling or amending the Iran nuclear deal" by stating that "the Iran deal turns Iran into another North Korea." Iran has rejected Israel's claims regarding the nature of its nuclear program and emphasizes that the "Zionist regime," with over two hundred nuclear warheads, is not qualified to comment on Iran's nuclear program. Israel deliberately keeps its nuclear capabilities ambiguous. Cohen's remarks on Monday about Iran becoming a "top priority" in Mossad's plans come amid an increase in harsh verbal exchanges between Israeli and Iranian leaders in recent weeks. Tasnim, a major news outlet affiliated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, recently described Iran's long-range missiles as "Israel's killer." In this context, Israeli officials have warned about the "Iranian threat" in meetings with the UN Secretary-General. Netanyahu told Putin: "Wherever ISIS is defeated, Iran enters." The warning from the Mossad chief about "Iran gaining power in the post-JCPOA era" highlights the changing dynamics of "proxy wars"; the war against the people in the streets of Iran. The first paragraph discusses the responsibility of opponents and the potential radicalization of Iranian society. The last representative of Mossad in Tehran passed away amid the Iranian crisis, and there were 1300 hours of internet outages; Witkoff stated that a horrific massacre occurred during the protests in Iran.