Former Mossad Chief Reveals Israeli Reconnaissance of Fordow Nuclear Site Before US Airstrike

Yossi Cohen, former head of Mossad, disclosed at the Galilee Conference that Israeli operatives conducted multiple reconnaissance missions at Iran's Fordow nuclear facility to better understand the site. He praised the US airstrike on the site in June 2025 during Operation "With the Lion," calling it the fulfillment of his dreams. Cohen also commented on Iran's uranium enrichment, stating that 60% enriched uranium is still far from a nuclear bomb.

On June 22 of the previous year, then-US President Donald Trump announced that the US military had launched precise and powerful attacks on Iran's three main nuclear sites: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Trump claimed the strikes completely destroyed Iran's nuclear enrichment capabilities and ended the nuclear threat posed by the regime. Fox News reported that six bunker-busting bombs were dropped on Fordow, while 30 Tomahawk missiles targeted the other sites.

However, Israeli news outlet Ynet later revealed that Trump's statement was inaccurate. Although the facilities were damaged, intelligence assessments at the time could not determine the full extent of the damage, and no credible intelligence believed the Iranian nuclear program was finished. Two days after Trump's announcement, the New York Times published a Pentagon intelligence report contradicting the president's claims, stating the damage was far from complete or decisive.