Key Highlights:

• Ahmadinejad accuses Mossad of recruiting high-ranking officials in Iran’s intelligence services.
• Allegations come in the wake of past Israeli espionage operations, including the 2018 seizure of classified Iranian nuclear documents.
• The U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal was influenced by Israeli disclosures about Iran’s covert nuclear activities.

Tehran: Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has made serious accusations against Israeli intelligence, Mossad, alleging it infiltrated Iran’s intelligence apparatus by recruiting key personnel responsible for countering Israeli operations. Ahmadinejad’s claims were made during an interview with CNN Türk, where he asserted that double agents working for Mossad were able to gather sensitive information, particularly related to Iran’s nuclear program.

The former president specifically mentioned that Mossad had recruited the head of an Iranian unit tasked with monitoring Israeli intelligence activities. This group, originally responsible for countering Mossad’s operations, was allegedly turned against its own country, further complicating Iran’s security landscape.

Allegations of Double Agents

Ahmadinejad accused Mossad of enlisting a significant number of Iranian intelligence officials, including senior personnel. He alleged that around 20 Iranian operatives were working as double agents, feeding crucial information to Israel. According to Ahmadinejad, the primary goal of this infiltration was to obtain intelligence on Iran’s nuclear program, casting a spotlight on potential vulnerabilities within Iran’s intelligence services.

These allegations have raised concerns about the security of Iran’s intelligence network and its ability to safeguard sensitive national data from foreign espionage.

Mossad’s History of Operations in Iran

This is not the first time Israel has been accused of conducting espionage activities in Iran. In 2018, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed a trove of documents allegedly obtained by Israeli agents, which he claimed proved Iran’s covert efforts to develop nuclear weapons. These documents, seized from a warehouse in Tehran during a clandestine Mossad operation, included over 100,000 classified files detailing Iran’s nuclear program.

The 2018 operation, which reportedly involved more than two dozen agents, lasted six hours and was considered a major intelligence coup for Israel. The documents provided detailed insights into Iran’s nuclear capabilities, significantly influencing global perceptions of Iran’s nuclear intentions.

Impact on International Relations

The revelations from the 2018 operation had far-reaching consequences, particularly for the U.S.-Iran nuclear deal. After being briefed on the documents by Netanyahu, then-U.S. President Donald Trump decided to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear agreement, citing the evidence of Iran’s non-compliance with the deal’s terms. The agreement had sought to limit Iran’s nuclear development in exchange for the easing of international sanctions.

Ahmadinejad’s latest accusations suggest that Mossad’s activities within Iran may have been more extensive than previously believed. If confirmed, the infiltration of Iran’s intelligence services would represent a significant breach of the country’s national security, potentially providing Israel with critical information on Iran’s nuclear strategy.

These allegations are likely to further strain Iran-Israel relations, adding another layer of complexity to an already tense geopolitical situation in the region.