SAFED, Israel — Former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen has said that he and others visited Iran’s Fordo uranium enrichment facility several times in the past to study the site.
Cohen made the remarks at the Galilee Forum in Safed, according to Israeli Hebrew-language media.
He did not say when the visits took place or identify who accompanied him.
Cohen Calls Fordo Strike a Dream Fulfilled
Cohen also welcomed the US strike on the Fordo facility.
He described the destruction of the site as the fulfillment of a long-held dream.
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Fordo, along with Iran’s nuclear facilities in Isfahan and Natanz, suffered heavy damage during US strikes in the 12-day Israel-Iran war in June 2025.
Iran’s Enriched Uranium Remains a Key Issue
Reports following the strikes said Iran had stored around 440 kilograms of highly enriched uranium at the affected facilities.
Some reports said the material was buried after the attacks.
Israel has also claimed that Iran moved part of the stockpile to the Pickaxe Mountain site following the war.
The location and condition of Iran’s enriched uranium have remained major points of concern in discussions over Tehran’s nuclear program.
Cohen Disputes Claims About 60% Enriched Uranium
Cohen also said that uranium enriched to 60% remains far from the level needed for a nuclear weapon.
His statement appears to differ from assessments by nuclear experts who say 60%-enriched uranium can potentially undergo further enrichment to weapons-grade material within a relatively short period.
The issue remains central to international concerns over Iran’s nuclear activities.
Former Mossad Chief Has Discussed Iran Operations
Cohen has previously spoken publicly about Israeli intelligence operations targeting Iran.
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Shortly after leaving the Mossad leadership in 2021, he gave an unusual television interview in Israel.
During that interview, he discussed several operations involving Iran’s nuclear program.
Cohen strongly hinted that Mossad had played a role in an operation against Iran’s underground centrifuge facility at Natanz.
He also provided details about the 2018 operation in which Israeli agents stole Iran’s nuclear archive from a warehouse in Tehran.
Cohen Discussed Fakhrizadeh Operation
Cohen also confirmed that Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh had remained a target of Israeli intelligence for years.
Fakhrizadeh was assassinated in Iran in November 2020.
During the television interview, Cohen warned Iran’s leadership that Israel remained determined to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Cohen Claims Deep Knowledge of Iran’s Nuclear Sites
Cohen also indicated that he had extensive knowledge of Iran’s nuclear facilities.
During an appearance on Israeli Channel 12’s Uvda program, he said he could take journalist Ilana Dayan to the underground section of the Natanz facility where centrifuges operated.
His latest comments about Fordo offer another rare public reference by a former Mossad chief to the Israeli intelligence agency’s knowledge of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.
Cohen did not provide further details about his alleged visits to Fordo or explain how he gained access to the facility.
