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Israel told CIA chief Iran’s new president has ‘mental disturbances’

August 11, 2021 at 11:39 am

Ebrahim Raisi, Iran’s president, at a news conference in Tehran, Iran on 21 June 2021 [Ali Mohammadi/Bloomberg via Getty Images]

Attempting to thwart any possible resumption of talks between the US and newly appointed president of Iran over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear deal, Israel claimed that Ebrahim Raisi suffers from “mental disturbance” and cannot be negotiated with, the Times of Israel reported today.

Israel hosted US CIA Chief William Burns yesterday and discussed Iran, the newspaper said, pointing out that Israel did its best to thwart any American rapprochement with Tehran.

Walla news reported that Burns had met with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, head of Mossad Spy Agency David Barnea and other senior intelligence figures.

The Israeli daily also reported Channel 12 saying that Barnea presented Burns with information showing that Raisi is untrustworthy and incapable of negotiating a new nuclear deal or sticking to his commitments.

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Barnea gave Burns a dossier on Raisi, Channel 12 said, that portrayed him as exceptionally extreme, cruel, corrupt and unstable.

“The Mossad described him as someone with mental disturbances,” the Times of Israel reported Channel 12 saying.

Burns, a career diplomat, played a key role in the US rapprochement with Iran that led to the deal between Iran and major powers.

His visit to Israel came amidst “shadow war” that has seen a wide-scale Israeli incitement against Iran.