Yossi Cohen Reveals Mossad's Repeated Visits to Iran's Fordow Nuclear Facility
Yossi Cohen, the former head of Mossad, revealed during a recent conference that Mossad operatives had conducted multiple visits to Iran's Fordow nuclear facility. These visits were part of the agency's efforts to gather intelligence and understand the complexities of the heavily fortified site. Cohen expressed his satisfaction with a recent U.S. military strike on Fordow, calling it 'the fulfillment of all my dreams.'
In his remarks, Cohen also addressed the issue of Iran's uranium enrichment capabilities. He noted that while Iran has enriched uranium to 60 percent, this level is still significantly short of what is required to produce a nuclear weapon.
Fordow is recognized as one of Iran's primary uranium enrichment sites, alongside Natanz. It is strategically located about 30 kilometers northeast of Qom, constructed deep underground in the Zagros Mountains, approximately 90 meters below the surface and surrounded by hard rock. This construction makes it one of the most fortified components of Iran's nuclear infrastructure, posing a considerable challenge for any military action.
The facility was first publicly disclosed in 2009, although Western intelligence agencies had already identified its existence prior to that announcement. It has since become a focal point of international concern regarding Iran's nuclear ambitions and the 2015 nuclear agreement.
During a Mossad operation in April 2018, the agency successfully obtained diagrams of the Fordow facility, which led to an expansion of Iran's enrichment activities and the relocation of advanced centrifuges to the site.
On June 13, 2025, the Israeli Air Force targeted Fordow as part of a broader campaign against Iran's nuclear infrastructure. Although the facility sustained damage, it was not completely destroyed.
Subsequently, on June 22, 2025, the United States executed its own strike on Fordow, as well as on Iran's nuclear facilities at Natanz and Isfahan. This operation involved six B-2 bombers that dropped 12 MOP bunker-penetrating bombs, each weighing around 13.5 tons.
General Dan Caine, who was then the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, reported that the bombs penetrated the underground complex through two ventilation shafts. Initial bombs were deployed to clear concrete barriers that Iran had placed over these openings, allowing subsequent bombs to reach deeper into the facility.
