DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Sensitive Israeli documents obtained by Tehran should be unveiled soon, Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib told state TV on Sunday, describing them as a “treasure trove” that will strengthen Iran’s offensive capabilities.
Iranian state media reported on Saturday that Iranian intelligence agencies had obtained a large trove of sensitive Israeli documents, without any evidence to support the claims. Khatib said these were related to Israel’s nuclear facilities and its relations with the United States, Europe, and other countries, and to its defensive capabilities.
There was no immediate official comment from Israel.
It was not clear whether the information breach was linked to a reported hacking of an Israeli nuclear research center last year, which Tehran is only disclosing now amid heightened tensions over its nuclear program.
“The transfer of this treasure trove was time-consuming and required security measures. Naturally, the transfer methods will remain confidential but the documents should be unveiled soon,” Khatib said, adding that in terms of volume, “talking of thousands of documents would be an understatement.”
In 2018, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israeli agents had seized a huge “archive” of Iranian documents that showed Tehran had done more nuclear work than previously known.
The US is currently in talks with Iran to resolve a decade-long dispute over its nuclear ambitions, although US President Donald Trump has threatened military action against the country’s nuclear facilities if no agreement is reached.
He has favored diplomatic efforts, despite the threats, and in April reportedly blocked a planned Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities so as not to upend the negotiations.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday that abandoning uranium enrichment was “100 percent” against Iran’s interests, rejecting a central US demand in talks.
Western powers say Iran, which is sworn to Israel’s destruction, is refining uranium to a high degree of fissile purity close to the level suitable for atomic bomb fuel, a level with no non-weapon purpose. Iran has long denied seeking nuclear weapons.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.