Mossad Chief: Iran Remains Primary Target

YERUSHALAYIM
Mossad Iran
Mossad Chief Yossi Cohen (Gali Tibbon/Pool via AP, File)

The Mossad carries out hundreds and thousands of operations each year, of which Iran is the primary target, Mossad head Yossi Cohen said on Monday.

Cohen was speaking at the Mossad headquarters where Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu attended a ceremony initiating a new annual tradition of awarding six citations of merit to Mossad agents who took part in operations

Netanyahu — who called the organization a “synchronized fist” — said he saluted its “initiative, daring and professionalism — both in planning and in execution.”

In his remarks, Cohen said, “The objectives of the Mossad are clear, [as] Iran continues to cling to its vision of attaining significant nuclear capabilities, so that it will attain nuclear military capabilities,” Cohen said.

Cohen added that the Islamic Republic continues to operate closer to Israel’s borders than ever before, both in Syria and in Lebanon; continues to support Hezbollah and — increasingly of late — Hamas; and continues to transfer advanced precision weaponry to terrorist organizations in the region.

In addition to Iran, he said, Islamic State “will continue to challenge us every day in its efforts to harm us and — no less important — our friends around the world.”

Cohen said that the Mossad “undertakes hundreds and thousands of actions every year, some of which are complex and bold in the heart of enemy states — the target countries.” He said the organization has a “unique ability to work in the very heart of the target, to penetrate into the most guarded and dangerous places and to return with a decisive achievement.”

To Read The Full Story

Are you already a subscriber?
Click to log in!