Tel Aviv, Israel – The head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, David Barnea, issued a stark warning, emphasizing the need to ensure that Iran’s nuclear program is not restarted. These remarks come six months after Israeli airstrikes targeted Iranian nuclear facilities during a 12-day military confrontation.
“The idea of the bomb still lingers in their hearts.”
During a ceremony honoring intelligence agents, Pernia stressed that Tehran had not abandoned its military ambitions. He said, “The idea of developing a nuclear bomb still burns in their hearts, and Iran will rush toward that goal as soon as it is allowed to do so.”
The head of Mossad explained that the levels of uranium enrichment Iran has reached cannot be explained by civilian purposes. Rather, they are conclusive proof of a desire to acquire a military nuclear weapon.
Post-bombing strategy and cooperation with Washington
Pernia stressed that Israel’s responsibility now is to ensure that the Iranian nuclear program remains “frozen,” given the significant damage it has sustained. He added that this is achieved through close monitoring and ensuring that the damaged parts of the program are not activated.
International coordination is underway, working closely with the United States to ensure the situation does not spiral out of control. He also praised the accurate intelligence that enabled Israel to launch “surprise opening strikes” in the recent war.
Doubts about the diplomatic approach
In a message to the international community, Pernia questioned the viability of any diplomatic solutions with Tehran. He accused Iran of trying to “deceive the world” into a new nuclear agreement, which he described as “bad.”
Pernia said: “Iran thinks it can implement another bad deal, but Israel has not and will not allow any agreement to pass that gives Tehran cover to continue its ambitions.”
End of an era
These strong statements come at a time when Barnea is preparing to end his duties as head of the intelligence agency in June 2026. He considered the volume of information gathered by his agents to be the “impregnable shield” that prevents Iran from fulfilling its threats to destroy Israel.
