 "US intel suggests Israel preparing for possible strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities: Report. Image: Reuters")
Iran’s state media claimed on Saturday that its intelligence agencies have obtained a large number of sensitive Israeli documents, including some related to Israel’s nuclear plans and facilities, according to Reuters, citing sources.
The report said the documents were taken during a cyberattack on an Israeli nuclear research centre last year. Iran is choosing to reveal this now amid rising tensions over its own nuclear programme.
“Although the operation to obtain the documents took place some time ago, the large volume of materials and the need to safely transfer them into Iran required a news blackout to ensure their secure arrival,” state-run PressTV reported, quoting unnamed sources.
The sources also said the collection is so vast that reviewing the documents, images, and videos has taken a significant amount of time, PressTV added, without sharing specific details.
In 2018, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Israeli agents had seized a large archive of Iranian documents, showing that Iran had done more nuclear work than previously known.
Former US President Donald Trump had threatened to bomb Iran if it didn’t agree to a nuclear deal with Washington. However, reports say that in April, Trump blocked an Israeli plan to strike Iranian nuclear sites, preferring to seek a diplomatic agreement.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday that halting uranium enrichment would go “100 per cent against” the country’s interests, rejecting a key US demand in the ongoing nuclear talks.