Mossad head in US to meet CIA chief as Netanyahu pushes Trump for fresh Iran strikes: Will war resume?

Israel's spy agency Mossad's chief Roman Gofman has travelled to Washington on Friday (Nov 13) as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presses US President Donald Trump to resume military action, according to a report by American news website Axios. Mossad chief Roman Gofman is set to meet CIA Director John Ratcliffe and is also expected to travel to Miami for talks with White House envoy Steve Witkoff. This comes after Netanyahu's office on denied reports that he had a heated phone call with Trump over restarting the Iran war, calling the claims “fake news” and “complete nonsense.”

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A report from Ynet, citing sources, claimed that a weekend phone call between Netanyahu and Trump, which largely focused on Iran, had been unusually difficult and led to a heated exchange. The report also stated one of the sources saying that it is a “shouting match from hell.” However, in an attempt to downplay the situation, the source insisted that it was “very much not a difficult conversation.

Also Read: Netanyahu wanted Iran strike before Israel election, but US intervened to stop it: Report

Netanyahu wanted Iran strike before Israel election

It was also reported that Netanyahu and Mossad chief Roman Gofman wanted to start a military operation against Iran just days before Israel’s October 27 election. According to reports the plan was stopped after the United States learnt about the preparations. Israeli broadcaster Channel 12 reported that Netanyahu wanted to proceed with the operation despite opposition from other senior security officials. They were concerned that an attack could escalate tensions with Iran and even lead to the October 27 election being postponed. The plan was reportedly progressing until an Israeli official's actions exposed the preparations to the US. Washington then intervened to prevent the operation, Channel 12 reported. However, the report did not reveal the nature of the planned military action or the targets Israel was considering inside Iran.

Netanyahu’s office denied the report, saying, “The Prime Minister himself made it clear in real time that an attack before the elections in Israel is not on the agenda.” According to the report, Gofman supported Netanyahu’s push for action against Iran, while other senior officials in Israel’s security establishment opposed the move over concerns about its timing and possible consequences.