Former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen: Israel 'must do everything in its power' to stop Iran’s nuclear threat

Yossi Cohen, the former head of the Israel intelligence agency Mossad, addressed the Iranian nuclear threat against Israel at the Memorial Day ceremony, held Tuesday evening at the Museum of Tolerance in Jerusalem. 

"This is a regime which openly calls for our destruction, funds terror across the region and acts nonstop to try to acquire nuclear capabilities," Cohen stated. “It is a test of our unity, our resilience, and our unwavering determination to defend our people and homeland."

The former Mossad chief emphasized that Israel must, if necessary, use all means to prevent the ayatollah regime from acquiring nuclear weapons. 

“The State of Israel must do everything in its power – diplomatically, politically, and if necessary, operationally – to ensure that Iran never acquires nuclear weapons,” Cohen assessed.

He argued that Iranian nuclear bombs would constitute an existential threat to Israel.

“Such weapons would pose an existential threat to our nation, our people, and the very future of the Jewish state. Just as our fallen stood bravely against danger, so too must we stand resolute against those who threaten the very existence of our nation,” Cohen pledged. 

During his tenure as the head of Mossad, Cohen played a central role in the ongoing efforts to prevent the Iranian regime from developing nuclear weapons. 

Cohen who developed close ties with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, led many bold Mossad operations against Iran and its terrorist proxies. In January 2018, Cohen personally managed Mossad’s daring and risky heist operation in Tehran, which resulted in 100,00 files and computer records of Iran’s secret nuclear program being seized and secretly transported to the Jewish state.

The vast number of files exposed the ayatollah’s lies and proved that the Iranian regime has nuclear weapons ambitions. Netanyahu later presented the findings to the outside world and convinced U.S. President Donald Trump to withdraw from former U.S. President Barack Obama’s controversial Iran deal in 2015. 

Cohen also developed close ties with former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo who previously headed the CIA. 

In June 2021, Pompeo praised Cohen’s battles against the Iranian regime and for strengthening the security cooperation with the United States.

“Director Cohen and I worked as the closest of partners on behalf of the CIA, the Mossad, America and Israel. He was a relentless leader who worked to build the U.S.-Israel security relationship in ways that made American freedom far more secure,” Pompeo assessed.

Cohen who understandably refrains from discussing specifics of Mossad’s covert work, praised the agency’s efforts to thwart multiple threats against Israel. 

"When I look back at my time as Mossad chief, I see pride and humility,” Cohen reportedly said according to the Jerusalem Post. “We accomplished so much against so many threats."

Cohen currently serves as the president of the IDF Widows & Orphans Organization (IDFWO), an Israeli NGO that provides assistance to the children and spouses of fallen Israeli soldiers. 

Shlomi Nahumson, CEO of the IDFWO, explained that the organization’s work has become even more crucial following the Hamas Oct. 7 massacre in 2023. 

“Since October 7, more than 730 children were orphaned, and 315 men and women were widowed. It is our obligation, not only as the IDF Widows and Orphans Organization, but also as the entire Jewish nation, to stand by the families left behind and support them,” he said.