Mossad
Mossad is Israel's national intelligence agency, responsible for foreign intelligence collection, covert operations, and counterterrorism. Its director reports directly to the prime minister. In June 2026, Roman Gofman was sworn in as the new Mossad chief, and has since begun reshaping his senior leadership team.
Mossad — formally HaMossad LeModi'in U'LeTafkidim Meyuchadim (the Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations) — was established in 1949, shortly after Israel's founding. It is one of three principal Israeli intelligence bodies alongside Shin Bet (internal security) and Aman (military intelligence). Unlike the others, Mossad operates almost exclusively beyond Israel's borders: recruiting agents, gathering strategic intelligence, running covert influence operations, and conducting targeted counterterrorism missions. Its director answers solely to the prime minister, giving the agency unusual political proximity at the apex of Israeli decision-making.
Much of Mossad's operational history remains classified, but landmark episodes — the capture of Adolf Eichmann in 1960, the targeted killings of Munich massacre perpetrators in the 1970s, and a long series of operations against Iran's nuclear and missile programs — have shaped its global reputation as one of the most capable clandestine services in the world. In recent years, Mossad has been credited with intelligence work that enabled precision strikes on Iranian targets, including the use of AI-assisted targeting and assets pre-positioned inside Iran.
On June 2, 2026, Roman Gofman was sworn in as Mossad's new director at a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who publicly tasked Gofman with ensuring Iran can no longer pose an existential threat to Israel. Gofman, a former military secretary to Netanyahu, had faced a lengthy legal challenge to his appointment before taking office. Days after his swearing-in, he visited the Western Wall — his first since assuming office — and placed a personal note between the stones.
Within days of taking office, Gofman announced the dismissal of his deputy, known publicly only as 'A', who had served 22 years in the organization, commanded two operational departments, and received five Israel Security Prizes. Gofman stated he intends to appoint a new deputy from within the organization as part of building his own senior team. Separately reported context suggests the dismissal may be linked to internal tensions surrounding Gofman's appointment process and to the deputy's responsibility for efforts to destabilize the Iranian regime — though these accounts come from single sources and should be treated with caution.