Israel's Channel 12 reports that Mossad Director Shalom Gofman has dismissed the official responsible for the agency's Iran portfolio, following the failure to topple the Iranian regime. The report adds specificity to an earlier report of broader dismissals.
A new report from Israel's N12 news outlet adds specificity to earlier reports of dismissals at the Mossad, identifying the official removed as the head of the agency's Iran desk — the officer responsible for operations targeting the Iranian regime. The report, attributed to N12, does not name the individual. The dismissal follows what the outlet describes as the failure of efforts to overthrow the Iranian government, a long-standing Mossad priority.
The Zioneer reported earlier this evening (Thu 19:52 Jerusalem) that Mossad chief Shalom Gofman had dismissed senior officials over the Iran regime change failure, citing an N12 report based on a single source. Shortly after, at the same time, N12 journalist Yaron Avraham reported, citing security sources, that the dismissals were by agreement and that the officials involved may remain in the Mossad in other roles. The current report now identifies the specific role of the dismissed official, narrowing the scope of the earlier broader reports.
The dismissals come amid a broader reorganization under Gofman, who took office earlier this year. As The Zioneer reported on June 6, Gofman dismissed his deputy days into his tenure. The effort to topple the Iranian regime has been a central Mossad objective, and The Zioneer has previously reported on Israeli talks with former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad regarding a post-regime role (July 14) and on accusations that US officials leaked Mossad plans to Turkish President Erdogan (June 7). The collapse of these efforts has led to internal fallout within the agency.
The report does not name the dismissed official. It remains unclear whether the individual will remain in the Mossad in another role, as earlier reports suggested. The overall scope of the dismissals and the precise reasons beyond the cited failure of regime change efforts remain based on a single news outlet's reporting, with no official confirmation from the Mossad or the Prime Minister's Office.
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