- Israel's spy agency, Mossad, stole a trove of documents from a warehouse in Tehran, Iran, in one of its most brazen missions.
- Agents reportedly stole 110,000 documents and smuggled them back to Israel in one night.
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a "
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Stunning details reveal how Israel's spy agency pulled off one of the most brazen heists in modern history
Agents reportedly stole 110,000 documents from a Tehran warehouse and smuggled them back to Israel in one night.
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Israel's spy agency, Mossad, stole a huge trove of documents from Iran earlier this year in one of its most brazen missions.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed the mission in a speech accusing Iran of "brazenly lying" about its nuclear capabilities. Netanyahu unveiled a collection of documents, which he said were stolen directly from Tehran facilities in "a great intelligence achievement."
Among the stolen intel were 110,000 documents, videos, and photographs that Netanyahu claimed showed Iran lied about its nuclear ambitions and deceived powers involved in the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA.
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Netanyahu said that stash was made up of 55,000 pages of documents and another 55,000 files stored on 183 CDs. He said the haul collectively weighed half a ton.
Netanyahu didn't confirm how Mossad, known for its stealthy missions, obtained the material, but did say they had been stored in "a dilapidated warehouse."
The official also claimed that Mossad agents broke into the building one night this past January, took the 110,000 documents, and returned them to Israel that same night.
Senior Israeli sources told Israel's Channel 10 News that Iran chose the nondescript warehouse because it was trying to conceal over a decade of evidence of its nuclear activity from the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency).
Over 100 people were reportedly involved in the planning and execution of the operation. Officials said they could not physically take the entire archive of documents from the warehouse because they were "heavy."
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The sources told Channel 10 that a special intelligence team has been formed to translate and analyze the "very complex and very technical" materials.
Israel's Prime Minister told journalists on Tuesday that German, French and British delegates are set to be briefed on the information obtained from the documents later this week.
Israel's announcement of the raid is likely part of its psychological warfare against Iran.
Iranian media had initially remained quiet on the raid, likely embarrassed that the spy agency stole an incredible number of documents under the cover of night.
Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi responded on Tuesday, calling the Israeli Prime Minister an "infamous liar" with "nothing to offer except lies and deceits."
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He added that his assertions were "worn-out, useless and shameful."
The value of the stolen documents that have so far been made public is up for debate.
The White House said Netanyahu's presentation provided "new and compelling details" about Iran's past behaviours, while some experts disagreed.
"Everything he said was already known to the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] and published," Jeffrey Lewis, a nuclear-policy expert at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, tweeted.
"There is literally nothing new here and nothing that changes the wisdom of the JCPOA."
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JCPOA stands for Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and is the formal name for the Iran nuclear deal.
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