Mossad Director David Barnea issued a stern warning to Iran on Sunday in his address to the World Summit on Counter Terrorism, held at Reichmann University in memory of the late Mossad Director Shabtai Shavit.
Focusing on the threats to Israel posed by the Islamic Republic, especially the nuclear threat, its strengthening in the region, and the Iranian state terrorism, Barnea commented at length regarding the increase in Iranian attempts to perpetrate attacks.
In a pointed speech, the Mossad director emphasized the price that will be exacted from Iran, including the Iranian leadership, for its attempts to attack Jews and Israelis.
“I would like to take advantage of this podium to state that any harm done to any Israeli or Jew in any way whatsoever, and I mean in any way whatsoever, via proxy or Iranian alike, will elicit a response against the Iranians who dispatched the terrorists and the policymakers who authorized the terror units. I mean what I say. The price will be exacted from deep inside Iran, in the heart of Tehran,” he warned.
“The time has come to exact a different kind of price than before,” Barnea said. “Our message is loud and clear, and determined: Make no mistake, those of you who decided to dispatch the teams. Be assured that we will get to you, and justice will be done for all to see. This has been proven in the past, and in the future, we will ramp it up to the next level.”
The Mossad director noted that his agency and other intelligence bodies have thwarted 27 Iranian terror plots so far this year against Israelis, on almost every continent.
Barnea showed a video that exposed the deep Iranian involvement in terrorism around the world, including the confessions of terrorists who were sent to attack Israelis and Jews by official intelligence and security organizations. These reveal the Iranian fingerprint on terrorist activity and underscore that Iran cannot deny its responsibility for terrorism, even if it hides behind non-Iranian operations.
“The Iranian regime is no longer able to deny its involvement, and most importantly, it has no immunity,” he emphasized.
The Mossad director stressed the major importance of forming a united front against Iran to restrain it in all spheres and exact from it an economic, diplomatic and legal price for its nuclear activity, its actions in the region and for terrorism.
Mossad Director Barnea called on the nations of the world to stop showing restraint in the face of Iran’s conduct and commended the US for its vigorous actions to ensure freedom of navigation in the Gulf region vis-à-vis the maritime terrorism that Iran is advancing once again.
The Mossad Director also commented at length on the reasons that led the Iranian regime to have a higher sense of security in the past year, including the arms deals that Iran has carried out with Russia and the repression of the hijab protests.
“The more Iran’s self-confidence increases, the greater become its efforts to orchestrate terror all over the world, based on its belief that the price it will have to pay will be manageable,” he noted.
In addition, Barnea expressed his concern advanced weaponry sales to Iran from Russia, noting that Iran had intended to provide Moscow with short and long-range missiles in addition to the UAVs that it sold to Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. This particular effort was foiled, he added.
