Former Mossad chief Dedi Barnea issued a dramatic warning Thursday evening, saying the confrontation with Iran is likely to escalate and that Israel and the international community must continue increasing pressure on Tehran until the regime ultimately collapses.
Speaking at a ceremony in Yerushalayim where he received an award of recognition from the city, Barnea said the perception of the Iranian threat has fundamentally changed following the recent war.
“Until the ‘Roar of the Lion’ war, we felt that Iran was a problem for the State of Israel. Today it is clear to the entire world that the Iranian issue is not our problem alone,” Barnea said.
Barnea also addressed the sanctions imposed on Iran by President Donald Trump, arguing that economic measures alone will not be sufficient.
“The sanctions are only another stage. In my assessment, there will be no choice but to escalate the economic, diplomatic and operational actions against this regime until it falls — and it will fall.”
The former Mossad chief said Israel’s overall strategic position has dramatically improved compared to where the country stood before the October 7 massacre.
“The strategic situation of the State of Israel today is incomparably better than our situation on the eve of the terrible massacre of October 7. We changed the equation.”
Barnea said Hezbollah has suffered devastating blows and that Hamas no longer exists in its previous form as an organized military force capable of posing the same threat to Israel. He also praised the Mossad’s cooperation with the IDF and stressed the importance of maintaining resilience and unity within Israeli society.
Barnea made the remarks during a ceremony at which Yerushalayim Mayor Moshe Lion, on behalf of the City Council and residents of the capital, presented him with an award recognizing his service to Israel.
“Far from the public eye, in darkness and silence, you carried on your shoulders the tremendous weight of the fate of our people. You made fateful decisions during extraordinarily tense moments,” Lion told Barnea.
Barnea, who concluded his tenure as Mossad chief in June, said the honor belonged not to him personally but to the men and women who served under his command.
“My name may appear on this certificate of recognition, but I want to emphasize in the clearest possible way: this award does not belong to me. I accept it here this evening on behalf of all the men and women of the Mossad.”
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
