Mossad chief ‘100 percent certain’ Iran seeks nuke

JERUSALEM — The head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency is “100 percent certain” that Iran remains committed to developing a nuclear bomb and believes the international community must change or scrap its nuclear deal with the Islamic Republic.

Yossi Cohen, who leads the shadowy spy agency, has been holding discussions about the Iranian nuclear program and delivered his assessment in a recent closed meeting with senior officials, according to a person who attended the meeting.

Cohen called the nuclear deal a “terrible mistake,” saying it allows Iran to keep key elements of its nuclear program intact and will remove other restraints in a few years.

“Then Iran will be able to enrich enough uranium for an arsenal of nuclear bombs,” Cohen said, according to the meeting participant, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was discussing a classified security matter.

Cohen also criticized the decision to lift sanctions on Iran, saying it has resulted in “significantly increased” aggression by Iran, and noted Iran’s continued development of longrange ballistic missiles.

“As head of the Mossad, I am 100 percent certain that Iran has never abandoned its military nuclear vision for a single instant. This deal enables Iran to achieve that vision,” Cohen said. “That is why I believe the deal must be completely changed or scrapped. The failure to do so would be a grave threat to Israel’s security.”

Cohen’s comments come amid an intense international discussion about the future of the 2015 nuclear deal, in which Iran agreed to curbs and inspections on its nuclear program in exchange for relief from international sanctions.

His analysis aligns closely with that of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.