Israeli Mossad Chief David Barnea shared top "sensitive intelligence materials" with heads of the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), the Pentagon, and other leading officials, according to a recent report.
According to officials, Barnea warned the top heads of America's intelligence and defense communities over the alleged lies espoused by the Islamic Republic of Iran regarding the ongoing nuclear program negotiations.
After finishing off his trip on Thursday to Washington D.C. for high-level talks, Barnea met with C.I.A. chief William Burns, F.B.I. Director Christopher Wray, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, and other senior officials at the State Department and Pentagon, as part of the Israeli government's efforts to convince the Biden qdministration not to revive the 2015 nuclear agreement with Tehran. Barnea's trip came as Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, and Defense Minister Benny Gantz met and contacted Biden administration officials over their reservations about the ongoing nuclear negotiations.
According to the office of Prime Minister Lapid, Mossad Chief Barnea showed American officials the "sensitive intelligence materials," telling them that Israel cannot "stand idly by while Iran continues to deceive the world.” The Mossad Chief pointed out that Iran's enrichment of uranium to 60 percent weapons-grade level means that the regime now has the tools and capabilities necessary to build at least one nuclear bomb.
The reports from the meeting reveal that Barnea relayed his concerns to his American counterparts and that American officials reiterated their commitment to the security of the State of Israel. American officials told the Mossad Chief that the U.S. would not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon and would continue to act in full cooperation with the Israeli government over regional issues in the Middle East, including Israel's security.
Over the years, reports from Israeli intelligence officials revealed Iran's uranium enrichment and centrifuge buildup. The operations by Mossad have shown that the Islamic Republic continues to invest heavily into trying to acquire a nuclear warhead capable of reaching Jerusalem and Washington, D.C., countering the claim that Iran intends to use its nuclear program for "peaceful purposes." Additionally, from 2010 to present, Mossad has conducted high-level operations inside Tehran, smuggling highly sensitive files from top-secret Iranian facilities, hacking into nuclear facilities, and targeting and assassinating top Iranian nuclear officials like Mohsen Fakhrizadeh.
While these operations have had successes for Israel in exposing Iran's true intentions, many Israeli military and government officials believe that the only way to prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon is a strike against its nuclear facilities. For the past several years, the Israeli government has made military preparations to conduct such an operation, purchasing military equipment from the U.S. and training its aerial forces for such an attack. Additionally, with the signing of the Abraham Accords under the Trump administration, Israel and its Arab allies have conducted military cooperation efforts, strengthening each other's security against Iran’s regime and its terrorist proxies in the region.
Barnea is the third among many Mossad chiefs who have fought against Iran's nuclear program over the last few decades in visits to Washington with U.S. officials. In 2012, Tamir Pardo, Mossad Chief under then-Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin (Bibi) Netanyahu, also met with officials in Washington to relay his concerns over Iran's growing nuclear program, urging the Obama administration to cease talks with Tehran. In April 2021, during the heat of America's first round of negotiations with Iranian officials to return to the deal, Mossad Chief Yossi Cohen tried to dissuade Washington from signing an agreement with Iran.
