Ex-Mossad chief says ‘we toured’ Iran’s Fordo nuclear site ‘many times’

Yossi Cohen, the former head of the Mossad, has stated that Israeli intelligence services conducted extensive reconnaissance of Iran's Fordow nuclear site. According to the reports, Cohen asserts that Israeli operatives 'toured' and 'walked around' the targeted facility many times. These operations were designed to gather critical intelligence on the site's layout and defenses. The claims suggest a level of infiltration and detailed study of the nuclear facility that would be necessary for planning high-precision military operations. Multiple news outlets have reported on these assertions, highlighting the strategic nature of the intelligence gathering.

The Jerusalem Post and The Times of Israel both explicitly cite Cohen's use of the term 'toured' to describe the activity at the Fordow site. Haaretz emphasizes that the intelligence agency 'walked around' the targeted location on numerous occasions. Additionally, Crypto Briefing reports that this intelligence study was intended to provide necessary support for a potential strike conducted by the United States, linking Israeli ground intelligence to American military capabilities. This development is significant because the Fordow nuclear site is a heavily fortified facility within Iran, making any claim of repeated physical or tactical access a major intelligence revelation. The context provided by the coverage indicates that the Mossad's efforts were not merely for observation but were focused on creating a viable target profile.

By studying the site 'many times,' the agency aimed to eliminate unknowns that could jeopardize a military mission. This reflects a long-term effort by Israeli intelligence to maintain a granular understanding of Iranian nuclear infrastructure. Future attention will likely focus on how this intelligence is utilized and whether the US decides to act on the data provided by the Mossad. Coverage currently specifies that the study of the site supports a US strike, meaning further updates may involve military coordination or diplomatic reactions from Iran. The specific methods used by the Mossad to 'tour' the site remain unspecified in the current reports, leaving the exact nature of the infiltration open to further disclosure as more details emerge from the mentioned sources.