Mossad Director Roman Gofman is in Washington to persuade the Trump administration to join Israel in a renewed strike on Iran, bringing fresh raw intelligence to make the case, i24NEWS military commentator Yossi Yehoshua reported.
Gofman met CIA Director John Ratcliffe on Friday and was expected to travel to Miami to meet White House envoy Steve Witkoff, Axios reported, citing three sources familiar with the matter. According to Channel 13, Gofman is presenting intelligence on Iran’s nuclear program and its development of long-range missiles, as well as Israeli claims that Tehran has violated its agreements with Washington.
Speaking on i24NEWS, Yehoshua said that ahead of Israel’s October 27 election, the Americans had an intention and a plan to strike Iran. According to Yehoshua, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, the head of Military Intelligence and the commander of the Air Force all believed it was wrong to attack before the election. Gofman, by contrast, sided with President Donald Trump’s position.
“He said there would be no other opportunity when the Americans are together with us, now we need to seize it, and if they are with us we need to strike,” Yehoshua said of Gofman. In the end, Trump decided not to attack.
Yehoshua said the IDF still opposes a strike now that the election is over, though not on principle. The army supports striking Iran but believes it should not be done under a caretaker government, mainly because such an operation requires broad public trust. Kan reported similarly that Zamir supports military action against Iran but considers the current timing inappropriate, and favors coordinating with the United States on timing and conditions.
Channel 12 reported that Zamir is almost alone in his position. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Gofman, the National Security Council chief, the Shin Bet director, and Israel’s ambassador in Washington all reportedly believe this is the right time to act.
The visit comes as Gadi Eisenkot, who has been tasked with forming Israel’s next government, has warned Netanyahu against “dangerous moves” that could wait until a new government is sworn in. Eisenkot was briefed by Netanyahu on Thursday but was not told about Gofman’s trip, according to Channel 12. Netanyahu called Eisenkot’s public warning “irresponsible” and “a transparent attempt to politicize Israel’s national security issues.”
Trump has so far resisted the pressure to resume strikes. Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, have reportedly asked Washington to hold off.
