Significant policy differences between the Mossad and the IDF regarding Iran have once again become the norm after the Israeli defense establishment experienced a period of greater unanimity on the issue from 2023 to 2025, sources have told The Jerusalem Post.
The latest battle was regarding how aggressive to be about pushing for a joint US-Israel operation against Iran before the Israeli election.
Mossad director Roman Gofman was in favor, backing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir was opposed.
Despite that conflict, sources close to the Mossad told the Post that Channel 12 reports claiming Gofman supported an operation in the recent period were false.
Rather, they said that the debate centered on whether Gofman is most concerned about using a joint offensive opportunity with the US against Iran before that window closes.
Zamir has been more concerned that an attack during this sensitive election season could harm the legitimacy of any operation and be abused by Netanyahu against his rivals.
These debates have not been black and white, and there are circumstances in which Zamir would favor an attack on Iran and where Gofman might oppose one, but those are the general debate lines.
Both IDF, Mossad favored striking Iran in 2025, 2026 operations
In June 2025 and in early 2026, both the IDF and the Mossad were in favor of striking Iran with major operations.
In June 2025, they debated who would lead certain matters, but both sides eventually reached an understanding.
In 2023-2024, both the IDF and the Mossad favored taking more time to fully prepare to take out a wide range of Iranian targets before initiating a major strike.
The sides started to differ regarding the goals of the early 2026 operation.
Then-Mossad director David Barnea was all in to try to push for regime change with several practical plans that included the Kurds and – according to foreign sources – former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, with the IDF being opposed to or lukewarm about such plans.
Generally, the IDF has been more doubtful that regime change is achievable in the short or medium term, while the Mossad, whether under Barnea or Gofman, has been more optimistic.
Mossad, IDF debated return to JCPOA in 2022
In June 2022, both the Mossad and the IDF debated whether returning to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action was a wise strategy.
Back in 2018, the Mossad favored convincing the US to pull out of the JCPOA, while the IDF favored staying in the deal, at least until close to 2024, when some of its limits – which Iran was then observing – would expire.
From 2010 to 2012, the Mossad and the IDF united against Netanyahu and then-defense minister Ehud Barak’s possible plans to attack Iran’s nuclear program.
They said that such an attack would prematurely draw the region into danger and chaos long before Iran was even near a nuclear weapon.
Netanyahu and Barak warned that, absent an attack, nuclear items would be moved to Iran’s underground Fordow nuclear facility, which would make it impossible for Israel to strike without help from the US, which, at the time, was considered doubtful.