Mossad chief David Barnea says Israel will not go after Tehran’s proxies but will act against the ones who arm them, with a painful response on Iranian soil. 

In his first public speech since becoming head of the spy agency in June 2021, Barnea said at a conference at Herzliya’s Reichman University on Monday that Israel would not participate in the “charade” of a renewed nuclear deal between world powers and Iran, warning that the looming accord would “not provide immunity” for Tehran from Mossad’s operations, “even if a deal is signed.”

“The Iranian leadership must understand that attacks against Israel or Israelis, directly or indirectly by proxies, will be met with a painful response against those responsible, on Iranian soil,” Barnea warned. 

“The deal is based on Iranian lies. Iran has sought to build a nuclear weapon that endangers Israel’s existence. The deal will easily help them reach this goal under international legitimization,” he added. 

“It is state terrorism, ordered by [Iran’s Supreme] Leader and perpetrated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and other Iranian intelligence organizations. It is not spontaneous; it is planned, systematic, and strategic terror,” he said. 

He underlined that terror is Iran’s substitute for diplomacy, stating that “Terror serves to help the survival of the regime, prevents any change by the Iranian public, undermines the sovereignty of its neighbors, and deters them from cooperating with Israel. Terror is used to extort countries all over the world.” 

Mossad had foiled “dozens of Iranian terror attacks against Israelis and Jews abroad” recently, in Cyprus, Turkey, Colombia, and “many other places,” Barnea said. “Attempts are being made to harm American officials on US soil.”