Mossad chief David Barnea said Monday the agency had penetrated “the core of the enemy’s secrets” and carried out “groundbreaking” operations in Iran and beyond, speaking at a ceremony honoring agents and outstanding missions from 2025.
At the Mossad headquarters, Barnea highlighted what he described as a shift in the agency’s wartime role, saying it had become a more offensive and effective organization alongside the Israel Defense Forces in campaigns against Iran and its proxy terror group Hezbollah.
“We obtained strategic and tactical intelligence at the core of the enemy’s secrets,” Barnea said. “We demonstrated new and groundbreaking operational capabilities in target countries.”
“Thanks to these operations, numerous activities in the campaign against Iran and in the northern arena were made possible, and Israel’s intelligence superiority was preserved,” he added.
The agency also said in a statement that the shift was reflected in the Mossad’s “operational activity” against Iran and Lebanon. It added that the changes stemmed in part from the creation of new units and specialized capabilities in recent years, as well as the adoption of advanced technologies and innovation throughout the organization.
Get The Times of Israel’s Daily Edition
by email and never miss our top stories
By signing up, you agree to the terms
Barnea stressed the operations had helped enable strikes “in the heart of Tehran,” the “thwarting of senior operatives,” and efforts to secure Israel’s air superiority and defend the home front.
An Iranian woman walks past an anti-Israel mural, in Tehran on April 21 2026. (ATTA KENARE / AFP) /
“The operations recognized this year enabled us to break boundaries in Lebanon and Iran,” he said, adding that the agency had also “carried out the covert diplomatic campaign, whose importance is critical for forging regional alliances and expanding Israel’s strategic depth.”
He added that cooperation with the military had “changed Israel’s strategic posture,” but warned that threats remain.
At the ceremony, 10 operations and projects received commendations for having “made an exceptional contribution to Israel’s security and reflected groundbreaking achievements.”
Additionally, a commendation for bravery and fortitude was awarded to a veteran operative for leading a “bold, first-of-its-kind operation.”
Barnea also noted in his speech that “the campaign against Iran will only be complete with a change of regime. It was planned in advance to continue for a long time even after the fighting subsides and a ceasefire takes hold. The mission is still ahead of us and could take many months.”
Meanwhile, the Iranian opposition outlet Iran International reported Tuesday that Iran’s Supreme National Security Council convened amid concerns that the mass protests that plunged the country into chaos back in January could return due to rising prices, high unemployment rates, and damage to key industries as a result of the US-Israeli war.
In this photo obtained by The Associated Press, Iranians attend an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, January 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)
In March, The New York Times reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was frustrated with the Mossad after the intelligence service promised that an uprising against the regime could be fomented during the war but had not materialized.
The report stressed that the Mossad chief provided disclaimers and qualifications, and noted both that the situation was developing and that achieving the desired ends could take a long time.
In 2025, the Mossad played a crucial role in Operation Rising Lion, and reportedly enlisted its agents to smuggle attack drones into Iran via trucks, shipping containers and even suitcases.
Mossad agents inside Iran then gathered the equipment and handed it out to teams who prepared the drones for use within the country. Once airstrikes began, the drones took out air defense systems and hit hitting surface-to-surface missile launchers aimed at Israel.
You appreciate our wartime journalism
You clearly find our careful reporting of the Iran war valuable, at a time when facts are often distorted and news coverage often lacks context.
Your support is essential to continue our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically during this ongoing conflict.
So today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you’ll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this