Mossad chief: Agency foiled dozens of Iranian terror plots against Israelis

David Barnea also warns that billions of dollars, expected to flow to Iran after nuclear deal is signed, will be diverted to spread terror around the world, providing regime with plausible deniability to destabilize entire region
Nina Fox|
Mossad Chief David Barnea said on Monday that his agency has foiled dozens of Iranian terror plots aimed against Israeli business people, tourists and diplomats.
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  • Speaking at a conference on terror at the Reichman University, Barnea said, "We captured armed Iranian terrorists in Cyprus and in Turkey, managed to prevent an attack minutes before it was to begin."
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    דוד ברנע
    דוד ברנע
    Mossad chief David Barnea
    (Photo: Motti Kimchi)
    He added that the Iranian nuclear deal in its current iteration is based on lies. "Tehran is seeking nuclear weapons that will endanger our existence, and the deal will provide an easier path for them, with international legitimacy.
    "Iran must stop its years-long deception and the world must demand the truth," he said.
    He claimed that if a deal is signed, the Islamic Republic will be given an immediate influx of six billion dollars, in addition to 90 million dollars annually, at the very least.
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     Iranian operative in Istanbul as plans to attack Israelis underway
     Iranian operative in Istanbul as plans to attack Israelis underway
    Iranian operative in Istanbul as plans to attack Israelis underway
    "The talks on a return to the deal, only empower the regime in its policy of terror," he said. "If they are not made to answer for that, they will continue to spread terror around the world, in a manner that provides the leadership with plausible deniability," he said.
    "Even if just a fraction of that money is diverted to terrorism, our challenge and that of the world to fight it will be huge," he said. "This is one of the major faults of the deal - as I told American officials during my visit to Washington. The deal will bring Iran closer to a bomb. It may be positive in the short term but not in the long run," he said.
    "Terrorism has been the cornerstone of the Iranian regime since its conception," Barnea said. "This is a regime that considers violence as a legitimate state tool, financed by the government," he said.
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    Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khanenei
    Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khanenei
    Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khanenei
    (Photo: AFP)
    Barnea accused Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khanenei of expanding his country's military nuclear program, destabilizing the Middle East and spreading terror around the world.
    "Iran uses terror for its own means, not to protect its citizens but to gain power and control," he said, adding that Tehran is providing Al Qaida leaders with shelter and is using them for the regime's terror objectives.
    "We do not turn away from the proven truth," he said. "Even if a deal is signed, it will not provide the Iranians with immunity from Mossad's actions. We will uncover their complicity, and no one will be immune. We will not go after their proxies. We will go after those who send them – in Tehran," he said.
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