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Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has accused Israeli intelligence of infiltrating Iran's intelligence services. Ahmadinejad claims that the Mossad recruited the head of an Iranian group responsible for countering Israeli operations. This group, he says, was tasked with monitoring Israeli intelligence activities but was turned against its own country. The former president made these statements during an interview with CNN Türk, the Turkish-language affiliate of CNN.
Allegations of Double Agents
Ahmadinejad claims that Mossad was successful in enlisting a number of Iranian intelligence unit personnel, including the senior leadership. He claims that some twenty Iranian operatives were giving critical material to Israel while operating as double agents. Ahmadinejad said that the operation’s objective was to pilfer sensitive knowledge about Iran’s nuclear program. The security of Iran’s intelligence network and its susceptibility to foreign infiltration have come under scrutiny in light of these assertions.
Mossad's Operations in Iran
It is not the first time that Israel has been charged with spying on Iran. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu disclosed in 2018 that a large number of documents pertaining to Iran’s nuclear program had been pilfered by Israeli agents. Netanyahu displayed documents at a high-profile speech, claiming they demonstrated Iran’s covert nuclear weapons program. The International Atomic Energy Agency later confirmed that the documents were seized during a clandestine operation in Tehran.
According to reports, during that operation, Mossad agents broke into a Tehrani warehouse and opened safes to take over 100,000 classified papers. More than two dozen agents participated in the six-hour operation. The world narrative on Iran's nuclear goals was greatly impacted by these files, which offered comprehensive information about Iran's development of nuclear weapons.
Impact on International Relations
The U.S. government’s approach to Iran was significantly shaped by the stolen materials. The United States withdrew from the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran after then-President Donald Trump received a secret briefing from Netanyahu. The documents’ release supported claims that Iran was not abiding by the provisions of the deal, which aimed to reduce Iran’s nuclear aspirations in exchange for the removal of sanctions.
According to Ahmadinejad's most recent accusations, Mossad's activities within Iran could have been far more widespread than previously thought. If true, the infiltration of Iran’s intelligence services could represent a significant breach in the country’s national security, potentially providing Israel with critical insights into Iran’s nuclear plans.