Mossad Chief Under Fire After Iran Operation Failure, Dismissals Spark Controversy
Translated from French, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- The new head of Israel's Mossad, Roman Gofman, faces controversy following the dismissal of two senior officials.
- The dismissals are linked to the failure of a plan to destabilize Iran's regime, reportedly vetoed by Donald Trump.
- The incident has sparked a significant internal debate within Israel's external intelligence service.
The new chief of Israel's external intelligence service, Mossad, Roman Gofman, is facing intense scrutiny just months after taking office. The controversy erupted following the dismissal of two high-ranking officials, reportedly held responsible for the failure of a covert operation aimed at destabilizing Iran's regime.
Sources indicate that the operation's downfall was precipitated by a veto from U.S. President Donald Trump. The plan, allegedly devised by the two dismissed officials, involved fomenting an uprising within Iran, potentially leveraging the country's Kurdish minority. It reportedly included scenarios for Israeli strikes against the Revolutionary Guards along the Iraq-Iran border in Iranian Kurdistan.
This high-profile failure has triggered a significant internal crisis within the Mossad, a service known for its strict secrecy. The media has been flooded with revelations, challenging the organization's traditional cult of silence. The firings, decided by Gofman, have placed him "on the hot seat," particularly given his background, which critics have described as lacking intelligence experience and being too closely aligned with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The article suggests that the incident has plunged the Mossad into turmoil, highlighting a significant setback for Israel's intelligence operations concerning Iran. The exact details surrounding the operation and the reasons for its failure, including the specifics of Trump's alleged veto, remain a subject of intense speculation and internal investigation.
Originally published by Le Figaro in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.