The head of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency is "100% certain" that Iran remains committed to developing a nuclear bomb and says the international community must change or scrap its nuclear deal with the Islamic republic.
The deal reached between Iran and six world powers in 2015 provided Iran with sanctions relief in return for Iran suspending its nuclear program. Critics say the agreement does not do enough to prevent Iran from pursuing its nuclear and other military aspirations.
Cohen's comments added an influential voice to a global debate on the issue ahead of the May 12 deadline set by U.S. President Donald Trump for toughening the deal.
Trump, like Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has been a fierce critic of the agreement. Trump set the May deadline to reach agreement with European nations to tighten restrictions on Iran, including by extending the deal's "sunset clauses," limitations on nuclear activity that are set to expire in several years. If the U.S. and the Europeans cannot agree on new punishments that satisfy Trump, he will withdraw from the deal and reimpose U.S. sanctions on Iran, the White House has said.
With the clock ticking, Cohen delivered his assessment in a recent closed meeting with senior officials, according to a person who attended the meeting and spoke on condition of anonymity. Cohen's analysis signaled Israeli support for Trump's efforts.
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 source.
Cohen also criticized the deal's easing of sanctions, saying this has resulted in "significantly increased" aggression by Iran, and noted Iran's continued development of long-range ballistic missiles.
"As head of the Mossad, I am 100% 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. Failure to do so would be a grave threat to Israel's security."
Trump's disdain for the deal has been a welcome development for Netanyahu. Israel has identified Iran as its principal threat, citing Iran's nuclear program, hostile rhetoric, support for anti-Israel terrorist groups and development of long-range missiles.
Yet the confrontational approach also carries risks. It appears increasingly unlikely that the U.S. and Europe can reach a compromise by Trump's deadline, especially in light of Trump's recent choice of national security adviser and secretary of state, both of whom have firmly opposed the Iran deal in the past.
It is also unclear how Iran would react if the U.S. withdraws. Iran has said a U.S. withdrawal from the deal and reimposed sanctions would destroy the agreement, and has threatened a range of responses, including immediately resuming nuclear activities currently barred under the deal.
The issue has also set off some debate within Israel's security ranks. As head of a powerful agency, Cohen is one of the most influential voices in that debate and appears to be siding firmly with Netanyahu.
But other security experts, both active and retired, have taken a more nuanced approach. While Israeli officials widely panned the deal when it was first announced, some have noted its positive aspects.
In a recent interview with Haaretz daily newspaper, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot said he knows of no violations of the nuclear deal by Iran, though he said Israel is closely watching.
"If its [Iran's] intentions change, we will know. Right now, the agreement, with all its faults, is working and deferring the Iranian nuclear vision by 10 to 15 years," he was quoted as saying.
