Iran war and Strait of Hormuz stuck in limbo as Trump mulls latest Iranian offer

The head of Israel’s Mossad has praised the spy agency’s “groundbreaking” operations in the war against Iran and Hezbollah, saying it acquired intelligence “from the heart of the enemy’s secrets.”

“In the campaigns against Iran and Hezbollah, we worked shoulder-to-shoulder with the IDF, on both defense and offense,” David Barnea said, referring to the Israeli military.

His remarks were delivered during a commendation ceremony at Mossad headquarters on Monday and published Tuesday.

“We acquired strategic and tactical intelligence from the heart of the enemy’s secrets,” Barnea said, adding that Mossad had “proved new, groundbreaking operational capabilities in target countries.”

A ceasefire in the war with Iran, which began with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Feb. 28, has so far held.

Iranian-backed Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the war on March 2 by firing rockets at Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in the initial U.S.-Israel strikes.

President Trump announced a ceasefire on the Lebanese front earlier this month, which has since been extended, though Hezbollah and Israel have continued exchanging fire.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Hezbollah’s rockets and drones remained a key threat that demanded ongoing action by the Israeli military, adding that Israel would continue to carry out strikes.

Hezbollah has said it is responding to what it considers Israeli ceasefire violations.

Barnea said the military and Mossad had changed Israel’s “strategic posture” and “strengthened its might,” but added that the agency would “not rest on our laurels.”

“When we see a threat, we will act with full force,” he said.

CBS/AFP