Mossad has spent decades building intelligence networks inside Iran, using spies, cyber operations and covert technology to penetrate the regime at the highest levels.


Yossi Cohen, former director of Mossad, joins The General & The Journalist to reveal how Israel’s spies recruit agents, operate behind enemy lines and target Iran’s leadership. How far is Mossad willing to go? And can Israel’s intelligence successes ultimately bring about regime change in Iran? And where does covert action cross the line?


The Sword of Freedom: Israel, Mossad, and the Secret War by Yossi Cohenis available at Harper Collins.


  • 00:00 - Former Mossad Chief Yossi Cohen on Israel’s Intelligence Strategy
  • 03:01 - How Mossad Penetrated the Iranian Regime’s Deepest Secrets
  • 09:24 - HUMINT vs. SIGINT: Why Human Spies Outperform Cyber Intelligence
  • 14:16 - Exploding Pagers, Sabotage & The Ethics of Covert Operations
  • 24:28 - The Future of Iran, Regime Change & Yossi Cohen’s Political Ambitions


Guest: Yossi Cohen, former director of Mossad

Host: Tom Newton Dunn

Producer: Julia Webster and Shabnam Grewal

Executive producer: Priyanka Deladia 

Image: Getty

Clips: BBC

How should Andy Burnham approach the UK’s relationship with Israel? Get in touch: generalandjournalist@thetimes.co.uk

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