Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence has announced a significant intelligence victory, claiming to have obtained a vast archive of secret documents detailing Israel’s clandestine nuclear program. Tehran asserts that the dossier not only exposes the full scope of its adversary’s current nuclear projects but also includes the personal identities of its top nuclear scientists. This move is being framed by Iran as a major deterrence operation, leveraging what it describes as a deep network of spies operating within the Jewish state following a series of covert attacks that have damaged its own atomic industry.
The explosive allegations were showcased in a documentary broadcast on Iranian state television. The program featured what it claimed were detailed files on Israel’s Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Center in Dimona, the site of the country’s oldest reactor. It purported to reveal personal information on 189 Israeli researchers directly involved in the nuclear program, and even displayed photos of IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi that were allegedly gathered by Israeli intelligence, further escalating the psychological warfare between the two nations.
Intelligence Minister Esmaeil Khatib described the acquired data as a “treasure trove” containing information on Israel’s weapons projects, modernization efforts, and joint ventures with the U.S. and European countries. He emphasized that the intelligence was gathered thanks to agents inside Israel, some allegedly motivated by money and others by political opposition to the Israeli government. Khatib also acknowledged the ongoing intelligence battle, noting that Israeli agents are still active in Iran and that his country’s counter-intelligence services continue to pursue them relentlessly.
The Dimona facility has long been a focal point of regional tensions. Developed in the 1960s, the aging reactor has been a declared target for Iran. Concerns over its vulnerability were publicly raised in 2019 by Uzi Even, one of the facility’s founding scientists, who warned that a successful attack could trigger a regional nuclear catastrophe. These concerns are amplified by recent satellite imagery showing significant new construction near Dimona, which experts speculate could be a new reactor or a facility to maintain or expand Israel’s nuclear arsenal.
Israel has long maintained a policy of deliberate ambiguity regarding its nuclear capabilities, neither confirming nor denying the possession of atomic weapons. Independent estimates suggest Israel possesses an arsenal of around 90 nuclear warheads and the means to deliver them. Tehran frequently uses the existence of this undeclared Israeli arsenal to justify its own uranium enrichment program, which critics contend goes far beyond civilian needs, arguing that it undermines the goal of a nuclear-weapon-free Middle East.
While Israeli officials have not directly commented on the specific claims made in the Iranian documentary, they do not deny the threat of Iranian espionage. Recently, Israel’s Shin Bet security agency announced the arrest of an Israeli-American citizen suspected of spying for Tehran. According to the indictment, the individual was tasked with gathering intelligence on critical infrastructure and political figures, underscoring the reality of the ongoing shadow war between the two states.