Mossad Chief Flies to US as Netanyahu Pushes Trump on Iran Strikes

Mossad Director Roman Gofman is in the United States for meetings with senior officials in President Donald Trump's administration, Axios reported Friday, citing sources briefed on the matter. Gofman is expected to sit down with CIA Director John Ratcliffe and US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff. The trip lands as Israeli outgoing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presses Trump to restart attacks on Iran.

Per the same sources, Israeli opposition figures fear Netanyahu could strike Iran — or provoke Tehran into hitting Israel first — to derail his main challenger. Netanyahu lost his Knesset majority after general elections, and rival Gadi Eisenkot is working to assemble a new Israeli government. One source said Eisenkot does not believe the current circumstances call for military action against Iran.

The reported Washington meetings put the intelligence relationship between the two countries at the center of the moment, with Gofman — Israel's spy chief — set to meet both the CIA director and Trump's Middle East point man. No details of the agenda beyond the expected meetings have been reported.