Yossi Cohen, former director of Israel’s intelligence agency Mossad, stated that the organization’s operatives had previously visited Iran’s underground Fordow uranium enrichment facility multiple times to gather intelligence on the site.
Speaking on Tuesday, August 11, at the Galilee Conference in Safed, Cohen noted: “We visited the Fordow nuclear site many times to understand this site,” according to The Times of Israel. He refrained from elaborating on the specific dates of these visits or the identities of the operatives involved.
Referring to the U.S. strike on the facility, Cohen added: “Its bombing by the Americans was the fulfillment of all my dreams.”
The Fordow facility, alongside nuclear centers in Isfahan and Natanz, suffered extensive damage during the 12-day Israel–Iran war in June 2025. Previous reports indicated that roughly 440 kilograms of highly enriched uranium stored at the site were buried beneath the rubble. However, Israeli intelligence maintains that Iran subsequently transferred a portion of these uranium stockpiles to the “Pickaxe Mountain” (Kuh-e Pickaxe) site following the conflict.
Cohen also remarked that uranium enriched to 60 percent purity remains far from weapon-grade material. This statement diverges from assessments by several nuclear experts, including David Albright, who previously noted that 60% enriched uranium can be further enriched to weapons-grade levels within days or weeks if Tehran decides to weaponize.
Cohen has previously spoken publicly about Mossad operations targeting Iran’s nuclear program. Shortly after concluding his tenure as Mossad director in 2021, he revealed details of past operations in a rare interview with Israeli television, discussing explosions at Natanz’s underground centrifuge facilities and the 2018 theft of Iran’s nuclear archive from a Tehran warehouse. He also acknowledged that Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, the senior nuclear scientist who was later assassinated, had been targeted by Mossad for years.
In a segment on Channel 12’s documentary program Uvda, hosted by Ilana Dayan, Cohen similarly expressed close familiarity with Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, remarking that, if given the opportunity, he could guide her through the underground section of Natanz where centrifuges operated.