Israel retains capabilities inside Tehran, Mossad chief says
The head of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency, David Barnea, says there are still capabilities buried within Tehran, ready to be activated while Iran continues to hunt down suspects.
The head of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency, David Barnea, says there are still capabilities buried within Tehran, ready to be activated while Iran continues to hunt down suspects.
Speaking at the Prime Minister's Award Ceremony, Barnea said: “We have won, and we will continue to win. Though we proved that Iran is penetrable, we are not letting up.
“The Mossad has very strong operational capabilities, even more imaginative and powerful than before — especially inside Iran and even in the heart of Tehran.”
At the ceremony, Mossad received this year’s honor in recognition of its recent operations. Among them was the so-called “beeper operation” in Lebanon, in which pager devices used by Iran-aligned Hezbollah members exploded simultaneously.
Another operation cited involved the establishment of a covert drone base inside Iran, which Israel said was used to destroy missile launchers prepared to fire following Israel’s June 13 strikes.
“We will continue to build and strengthen our capabilities in Iran, to keep our eyes open from within Iran on what is happening behind closed doors, and we will not allow ideas that could endanger our security to grow,” he said.
Since the June war, over 700 Iranians have been arrested on charges of spying for Israel with at least nine given the death sentence already.
Inside Israel, dozens of Israelis have been arrested on allegations of spying for Iran since the beginning of the Gaza war in 2023, some of whom involved in plots to kill top military and political leaders in the country.
“The enemy used negotiations as a cover for deception and betrayed diplomacy by starting the war,” Mousavi said.
He said Iran has never initiated war and sees diplomacy as the best way to resolve disputes, but argued that the armed forces had given a strong response to the United States and Israel.
Moscow supports stronger cooperation in both economic and defense fields, the Russian minister said in return.
Pezeshkian stresses partnership
Iran is prepared to expand cooperation with Moscow, President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a separate meeting with Tsivilev.
“No barrier stands in the way of Iran-Russia cooperation, and the model of successful cooperation between independent countries like ours will prove that the era of unilateral powers has ended,” Pezeshkian said.
He called joint projects proof that sanctions have not obstructed Tehran. “Growth can be achieved without reliance on unilateral powers,” Pezeshkian added, saying that agreements in transport, energy, and power generation will move forward if ministers and expert teams accelerate implementation.
Iran’s parliament in May approved a 20-year strategic partnership with Russia. The agreement, initially signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Pezeshkian on January 17, was ratified by Russia’s State Duma in April.
While the pact does not include a mutual defense clause, it commits both nations to military-technical cooperation, joint exercises, and coordination against what they define as shared threats.
Officials from both governments remain in regular contact to ensure agreements are carried out, Tsivilev said. “No pressure or sanctions can disrupt this process.”
Iranian and Russian officials have repeatedly announced projects on trade, transport, and energy. Many have been delayed or left incomplete because of financial limits and logistical difficulties.
