Mossad Chief Dismisses Two Senior Officials Amid Fallout Over Iran Regime-Change Plan

 Mossad Director Roman Gofman has removed two of the intelligence agency's most senior officials, sparking unusually sharp criticism from current and former security figures after reports that they were responsible for developing a plan to facilitate regime change in Iran.

According to Israeli media reports, the officials leaving their positions are the head of the Mossad's Intelligence Directorate, who assumed the role only in December, and the head of the agency's Iran Division. Both were closely associated with planning the strategy that reportedly envisioned exploiting political and security developments inside Iran to undermine the Islamic Republic.

strategy that was never implemented

The reported restructuring follows the plan's failure to advance beyond the planning stage.

According to the reports, Gofman concluded that the architects of the proposal should bear responsibility for its failure after the initiative was presented to U.S. President Donald Trump but was ultimately not carried out.

Security sources quoted in the reports said the two officials and Gofman had experienced tensions from the beginning of his tenure. They added that the officials are expected to leave their current positions by mutual agreement and could remain within the organization in different roles as part of a broader restructuring effort.

Rare public criticism within intelligence community

The dismissals prompted an unusually public backlash from individuals identified as knowing the Mossad.

One source accused Gofman of attempting to distance both himself and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from responsibility for the failure by removing two highly respected career intelligence professionals.

Another source questioned who should ultimately be held accountable for securing international political support for such a sensitive initiative, arguing that responsibility rested with Israel's political and intelligence leadership rather than solely with operational officials.

The critics also praised the outgoing head of intelligence, describing her as one of the agency's most accomplished officers whose career broke longstanding barriers within the organization. They said she had played a central role in preventing terrorist attacks targeting Israelis and Jews abroad and had become a role model for many employees, particularly women serving in the Mossad.

Leadership style comes under scrutiny

The sources further alleged that Gofman is seeking to reshape the agency's senior leadership around officials aligned with his own approach.

They argued that such personnel decisions are inconsistent with the Mossad's traditional organizational culture, which has historically encouraged professional debate and independent assessments among senior officers.

Some critics also suggested that the dismissals were intended to shift attention away from broader leadership responsibility for the outcome of the Iran initiative, although no evidence supporting that allegation has been made public.

No official response from Mossad

The Mossad has not publicly detailed the reasons for the personnel changes.

The agency traditionally refrains from commenting on internal appointments or operational matters, and no official statement has been issued addressing the reports or the criticism voiced by anonymous security sources.

The reported dismissals come at a sensitive time for Israel's intelligence community as it continues to assess its strategy toward Iran following months of heightened regional tensions and evolving cooperation with the United States.