Ex-Mossad Chief Says Spies Toured Iran's Fordow Nuclear Site

Conflict11 sourcesAug 12, 2026

ConsensusFactual rigor 51/100

The Story

Former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen stated that Israeli spies toured Iran's Fordow nuclear site many times to understand the underground facility.

Cohen made these remarks at the Galilee Conference in northern Israel, describing the eventual U.S. strike on Fordow as the fulfillment of all my dreams. The extent to which operatives physically entered the facility or engaged in remote surveillance remains unclear, according to Israeli reports. The U.S. struck Fordow on June 22, 2025, using seven B-2 Spirit stealth bombers and GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine disclosed that American forces targeted two ventilation shafts leading into Fordow. The U.S. also struck the Natanz nuclear facility and launched Tomahawk cruise missiles against infrastructure at Isfahan as part of Israel's Operation Rising Lion campaign. The material is linked to the former Syrian nuclear program, which was dealt a major blow by an Israeli airstrike in 2007.

What they agree on

Former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen stated that Israeli operatives toured Iran's Fordow nuclear site multiple times.
Cohen described the U.S. bombing of Fordow as the fulfillment of his dreams.
Syria confirmed the IAEA will remove nuclear material from a clandestine site linked to its former nuclear program.
The material to be removed from Syria is described as yellowcake and residue.
The U.S. brokered a deal involving Syria and Israel for the IAEA to remove the nuclear material.

Where they split

Some sources emphasize the details of the U.S. bombing of Fordow, including the types of aircraft and munitions used, while others focus on the ambiguity of Cohen's statement regarding physical entry versus remote surveillance.
Coverage varies in the prominence given to the U.S.-brokered deal for the IAEA to remove nuclear material from Syria, with some outlets detailing the material's nature and origin more extensively than others.
The Diplomat and Haaretz focus on Japan's Three Non-Nuclear Principles and the debate around revising them, a topic not covered by other outlets focusing on Iran and Syria.
Raw Story and The National Pulse lead with accusations against Donald Trump regarding a "nuclear blunder" involving a secret plane switch, a development not covered by other outlets.