David Barnea, Director of the Mossad, stated on Tuesday in his first public remarks on the recent joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran that the operation delivered a severe blow to the Islamic Republic.
Kabul 24: However, he stressed that Israel’s mission remains incomplete and will only be fulfilled with the replacement of the current Iranian regime.Speaking at a Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom HaShoah) ceremony, Barnea declared: “Our mission is not yet complete.
We did not believe that this mission would end immediately once the fighting subsided. Instead, we planned and prepared for the campaign to continue, and this will be reflected even in the period following the strikes on Tehran.”Barnea emphasized that the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes significantly degraded Iran’s nuclear and missile capabilities, reshaping the regional security landscape.
He noted that Mossad operated “in the heart of Tehran,” providing precise intelligence that enabled the Israeli Air Force to target critical sites, including ballistic missiles that posed an existential threat to Israel.
In response to domestic criticism, including comments from Shas leader Aryeh Deri suggesting the Mossad was responsible for achieving regime change, Barnea made it clear that the agency’s commitment extends far beyond the military phase.
“Our responsibility will only end when this extremist regime is replaced,” he said. “Regime change in Iran is our mission. We will not stand by silently in the face of another existential threat — a regime that has made the destruction of the Jewish state its guiding principle.”The Mossad chief added that Israel and the United States acted decisively for the benefit of global security against a regime that repeatedly threatens Israel’s existence.
He linked the lessons of the Holocaust to Israel’s current resolve, stating that the Jewish state refuses to remain passive when facing threats of annihilation.These remarks come amid a fragile ceasefire between the parties, with ongoing diplomatic efforts to stabilize the situation.
Nevertheless, senior Israeli officials have repeatedly indicated that their long-term goal includes creating conditions for the collapse of Iran’s clerical regime, allowing the Iranian people an opportunity to determine a different future.
Barnea concluded by reaffirming that Mossad’s intelligence and operational activities inside Iran and beyond will persist until the threat is fully eliminated.
