Local Editor

Leaked spy documents revealed that "Israeli" PM Benjamin Netanyahu's 2012 statement at the UN, in which he warned the world of Iran being too close to making a nuclear bomb, contradicted Mossad assessments.

Netanyahu famously declared to the United Nations General Assembly in September 2012 that Iran was 70 percent of the way to completing its "plans to build a nuclear weapon," and drew another "red line" at 90 percent, claiming Tehran's first bomb would be ready "by next spring, at most by next summer."

However, leaked Mossad documents suggested the Iran was much further from such development.

According to "The Spy Cables", the documents, spanning the period of 2006-2014, were written by members of South Africa's State Security Agency [SSA].

The documents highlighted the SSA's dealings with the intelligence services of its allies, including the Mossad and the CIA.

The documents also discuss CIA efforts to maintain contacts with Hamas, despite the group's designation as a terror organization by the US government.

However, the network did not give further details on the document detailing the Mossad's view on Iran's nuclear aspirations.

Conversely, to whom the Mossad made the comments and when the view was voiced were not included in the network's initial report.

Meir Dagan, the Mossad chief from 2002 until 2011, had often voiced a differing opinion from that of Netanyahu on how to deal with the Iranian nuclear issue, and how close Iran might be to the bomb.

Before leaving office in January 2011, Dagan broke away from earlier predictions and said that in his view, Iran would obtain a nuclear weapon only in 2015.

While Iran insisted it had no nuclear weapons ambitions and it sought enrichment capabilities to develop reactor fuel, and for other peaceful purposes.

The West, on the other hand, believed Tehran had been using its civilian atomic energy program as a cover for developing a bomb.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team