Israeli intel chief accuses Iran of still aspiring to build nuclear weapons

Director of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, David Barnea, has accused Iran of still seeking to develop nuclear weapons and use them against the Jewish state,

“Iran has not abandoned its ambition to destroy the State of Israel,” David Barnea, the head of Mossad, said at an award ceremony for Mossad agents in Jerusalem, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

“The idea of continuing to develop a nuclear bomb still beats in their hearts.”

The Mossad head’s remarks come six months after Israel, with U.S. support, conducted strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, which led to a 12-day exchange of fire between the two nations.

Barnea emphasised Israel’s commitment to preventing Iran’s nuclear ambitions. We bear responsibility to ensure that the nuclear project, which has been gravely damaged, in close cooperation with the Americans, will never be activated," he said at an award ceremony for Mossad agents in Jerusalem.

The intelligence chief also expressed concern about potential diplomatic developments. "Iran believes it can deceive the world once again and implement yet another bad nuclear deal. We did not and will not allow a bad deal to be realised," he added.

Western powers have long accused Iran of seeking nuclear weapons and sought to prevent it from acquiring them, while Tehran has always denied the accusations.

In his first term, US President Donald Trump withdrew from a landmark deal limiting Iran's enrichment of nuclear material in exchange for sanctions relief.

Israel had opposed the deal, signed in 2015.

Iran and the United States began negotiations for a new agreement in April, mediated by Oman, but those talks were brought to an abrupt halt by Israel's surprise attack on Iran on June 13, which triggered the 12-day conflict.

The US joined in with its own strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities.

Trump has repeatedly said his country's attack "obliterated" Iran's nuclear programme, but the full extent of the damage remains unknown.

The Pentagon has said the strikes delayed Iran's nuclear programme by between one and two years, contradicting an initial classified US intelligence report that, according to American media, found the setback was only a few months.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has previously rebuffed Trump's claims that Iran's nuclear programme had been destroyed, telling him to "keep dreaming". 

By Khagan Isayev