Mossad chief says Iran looking to step up arms shipments to Russia

Mossad head David Barnea says Iran is planning to expand its supply of arms to Russia, as well as ramp up nuclear enrichment and double down on efforts to take harmful actions against countries in the region.

“We are warning about Iran’s future plans, which they have tried to keep quiet, to deepen and expand the delivery of advanced weaponry to Russia,” he tells a ceremony to honor agents of distinction.

Iran earlier denied sending drones to Russia to use against Ukraine, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Moscow and Tehran of working together for “genocidal” aims on Wednesday.

“Iran is becoming more extreme, and stepping up attempts to carry out terror attacks, which we stop every day, around the world,” Barnea says.

He notes specifically that Iran is looking to take action against “friendly Muslim countries in the region,” without specifying.

Hours after Tehran claimed to have arrested members of four Mossad-run “terror rings” planning to carry out attacks using months-long protests across Iran as cover, Barnea says Israel “has clear proof that the protests are challenging the Iranian regime.”

“We see clearly that the regime, supposedly strong, is surprised and scared.”