How We Got Iran's Nuclear Secrets - Ex Mossad Director Yossi Cohen

The October 7th Hamas Attack

Yossi Cohen begins by describing the structural layout of Israeli intelligence, highlighting the clear distinction between Mossad, Shin Bet, and military intelligence. Mossad, as an external intelligence agency, operates primarily abroad, while Shin Bet is responsible for internal security within Israel, focusing on counterterrorism and safeguarding key officials and installations. Complementing these is the military intelligence, notably Unit 8200, specializing in signals intelligence and cyber-operations.

Cohen is notably critical of Israeli intelligence failures preceding the October 7th Hamas attack. He emphasizes that intelligence is supposed to be the first line of defense. In this scenario, that defensive line collapsed—not because there was zero information, but because it was inadequate and fragmented. He highlights a crucial gap in human intelligence within Gaza, partly as a consequence of Israel's unilateral disengagement from Gaza in the mid-2000s. This withdrawal left Gaza functionally akin to a foreign enemy state from an intelligence collection perspective, severely limiting infiltration and recruitment opportunities within Hamas.

Further complicating matters was a political reluctance to intensify covert operations inside Gaza. Cohen reveals he personally volunteered to lead an intensified intelligence campaign in Gaza but was rejected by counterparts in military intelligence and Shin Bet, and the prime minister did not authorize such a move. This reluctance arose from a desire to maintain a fragile quiet in Gaza despite clear signs of Hamas's growing capabilities, including tunnel digging and arms stockpiling. Cohen admits that, despite awareness of these activities, the intelligence community failed to produce a meaningful, timely alert about the scale and timing of the impending attack.

Regarding the slow military response after the Hamas incursion, Cohen refrains from speculation, stating that an official investigation committee is urgently needed to uncover the operational shortcomings. He stresses the importance of a forward-looking inquiry that focuses on systemic failures rather than scapegoating individuals. The committee, according to Cohen, must reassess the boundaries and cooperation between Shin Bet, military intelligence, and Mossad, especially considering that Gaza's status as a "foreign" or "hostile" territory blurs traditional jurisdictional lines and hampers effective intelligence gathering.

The Mindset and Psychology of Espionage

Turning to personal experiences, Cohen provides fascinating insight into the mindset required of a Mossad operative working undercover abroad. He stresses that espionage is an intense performance art: officers must adopt alternate identities, maintain elaborate cover stories, and learn to convincingly embody different personas. This psychological flexibility is essential, as Mossad operatives often have to act as actors on a global stage—engaging with hostile environments, earning the trust of targets, and sometimes facing abrupt operational dangers requiring escape.

Cohen underscores that the recruitment of sources depends profoundly on understanding human nature and exploiting vulnerabilities, whether financial desperation, ideological dissent, or personal desires such as ambition or fear. While not everyone is recruitable, Mossad's doctrine assumes everyone has weaknesses that, with patience and finesse, may be leveraged. He stresses that establishing deep trust is pivotal—operatives don't merely glean surface knowledge but strive to become the trusted confidant of targets, revealing their true motives and doubts behind public facades.

Stealing Iran's Nuclear Secrets

The conversation pivots to what many consider Cohen's signature achievement during his Mossad tenure: the covert operation to acquire Iran's secret nuclear archive. Cohen situates this operation against the backdrop of the 2015 JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) nuclear agreement between Iran and the P5+1 powers. He reveals Israel's firm opposition to the deal, which legitimized Iran's uranium enrichment capabilities and failed to compel Tehran to dismantle its entire nuclear weapons apparatus.

Cohen recounts that shortly after the JCPOA's implementation, Mossad detected unusual activity within Iran's Ministry of Defense—specifically, the clandestine consolidation of vast quantities of nuclear-related documents, hardware, and materials into a secretive warehouse not declared to the IAEA. This facility was linked to ongoing covert nuclear weapons development that Iran publicly denied.

Over a painstaking multiyear effort marked by multiple deep-cover missions inside Iran and extensive human intelligence work, Mossad successfully exfiltrated approximately half a ton of these sensitive materials—comprising documents, videos, hard drives, and disks—under great risk and complexity. The recovered archive unequivocally proved Iran's sustained nuclear weapons ambitions, including clandestine sites and activities concealed from international inspectors.

Once secured, Cohen personally ensured the intelligence was shared widely among global intelligence and security agencies, including the CIA, MI6, France's DGSE, Russia, China, Germany, and the IAEA itself, to substantiate Israel's claims about Iranian duplicity. This revelation played a significant part in influencing the U.S. decision—under President Trump—to withdraw from the JCPOA in 2018. Despite subsequent airstrikes against known nuclear facilities in Iran, Cohen confirmed that Tehran still retains nuclear sites and capabilities, necessitating ongoing vigilance and intelligence gathering.

Iran's Nuclear Ambitions

When directly asked why Iran seeks nuclear weapons, Cohen offers a strategic analysis grounded in regional dynamics. Iran desires nuclear capabilities to achieve immunity against regional adversaries, notably Israel and Sunni neighbors, asserting deterrence and regional dominance. He elaborates on Tehran's vision of a "Shia Crescent," a geopolitical corridor stretching from Iran through Iraq and Syria to Lebanon, dominated by Shiite proxies like Hezbollah. This strategy is designed to project power and safeguard Iran's influence. Nuclear weapons, from this perspective, are crucial to cementing Iran's position and deterring foreign intervention.

Global Terrorism Threats

Cohen also discusses Mossad's collaboration with Western intelligence services, particularly MI5 and MI6 in the UK, especially during the rise of ISIS. Israel played a key role in sharing actionable intelligence on ISIS and other terror organizations that threatened not only Israel but Western countries as well. Cohen highlights the persistent terrorist threat across Europe and beyond, emphasizing the importance of international intelligence cooperation in countering these multifaceted dangers.

He warns against complacency, noting ongoing threats from state sponsors like Iran as well as decentralized radicalized actors, not necessarily affiliated with any organization but motivated by extremist ideologies propagated via social media. The evolving nature of terrorism necessitates robust intelligence operations within host countries as much as abroad.

Social Polarization, and Hate Crimes

Towards the episode's end, Cohen reflects on broader societal issues. He expresses concern about global social polarization, rising hate crimes, and how social media facilitates radicalization and violent extremism by bypassing traditional organized structures. Using the example of recent violent incidents in the US and UK, he laments how young people have become susceptible to dangerous ideologies outside the control of traditional information gatekeepers.

He calls for renewed emphasis on dialogue, unity, and common humanity, emphasizing that despite apparent differences, people share more similarities than they realize. Cohen warns against political and societal forces that capitalize on division, advocating for efforts to reduce polarization and promote understanding—both in Israel and worldwide.