The aftermath of an Israeli strike on a building last week, after the cease-fire between Israel and Iran, in Tehran, Iran, June 25, 2025. (Credit: Majid Asgaripour/West Asia News Agency via Reuters)
The head of Mossad, Israel's foreign intelligence service, David Barnea, thanked the CIA on Wednesday for "the joint action and operations that have been successfully conducted" in Iran. In a video broadcast on Israeli media, Barnea, who rarely speaks publicly, praised the cooperation between Mossad and the CIA.
"I also want to express my gratitude and appreciation to our main partner, the CIA, for the joint action and the operations that have been successfully conducted, as well as to its director, who supported Mossad in making the right decisions, the very ones that ultimately led to the success of this operation," he said.
Israel launched an unprecedented massive attack on Iran, starting on June 13, triggering a 12-day war aimed at preventing its foe from acquiring nuclear weapons, an ambition Tehran denies pursuing. According to experts, this war highlighted the high level of Israeli intelligence penetration within Iran.
The extent of support provided by the American CIA remains unknown. The U.S. military helped intercept Iranian missiles fired in retaliation against Israel. U.S. President Donald Trump ordered massive strikes on Iranian nuclear sites from Saturday night to Sunday.
"We will continue to keep our eyes wide open on all the projects that Iran is pursuing, projects that we know in-depth, and we will be there, as we always have been," added Barnea. A few hours after the announcement of the cease-fire on Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Tehran would "never have the atomic bomb."
