Israel’s Mossad chief backed swift Iran operation opposed by army chief: Report

The head of Israeli spy agency the Mossad backed a swift military operation against Iran proposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir opposed it, Israeli media reported Monday, on the eve of the country’s pivotal general elections, with Netanyahu’s post at stake, Anadolu reports.

Daily Israel Hayom said Netanyahu pushed for the operation but faced opposition from Zamir, who had not been informed of it in advance, while Mossad chief Roman Gofman supported the proposal.

The daily quoted an unnamed source familiar with the discussions as saying the operation “could have led to renewed war with Iran,” although it would not have amounted to a resumption of an intensive military offensive.

Israeli opposition figures accused Netanyahu over the past week of seeking to attack Iran to influence the election results. However, an Israeli military official told the newspaper that the proposed operation did not involve restarting a large-scale offensive.

An attack of that scale would only take place with full coordination between Israel and the US and a decision by US President Donald Trump, rather than by Israel alone, the official said.

According to the newspaper, Israeli and foreign officials believe a large-scale attack on Iran is inevitable, citing what they called Tehran’s progress toward acquiring a nuclear bomb, with the remaining question being its timing.

The timing would depend primarily on operational and intelligence considerations aimed at preventing Iran from reaching a point of no return in developing a nuclear weapon, the report said.

Diplomatic sources told the daily that Trump wants to wait until after the US’ Nov. 3 midterm elections, believing an attack could be carried out just as effectively later.

They also cited concerns that an attack could drive oil prices higher and hurt the election results.

The newspaper also reported that Israel and the US are preparing a plan to bring down the Iranian government.

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Reported row

On Sunday evening, Israel’s privately owned Channel 12 reported an “unprecedented” confrontation between Netanyahu and Zamir over political directives to carry out a military operation that could quickly lead to a confrontation with Iran.

The channel said the dispute had peaked over the preceding 24 hours, amid concerns within the military establishment that the Iranian issue could be used for political gains ahead of Tuesday’s Knesset elections.

Netanyahu has placed security issues at the center of his election campaign, while opinion polls suggest his bloc will struggle to secure the parliamentary majority needed to form a government.

On Sunday, he posted an AI-generated image depicting a nuclear explosion in Tel Aviv, accompanied by a warning about the danger of Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon and a call to complete the confrontation with Tehran during the two years left in Trump’s term.

Netanyahu has led a far-right government since late 2022, widely described as the most extreme in Israel’s history.

On June 13, 2025, Israel launched a large-scale attack on Iran targeting nuclear and military facilities. Tehran retaliated with missiles and drones before the confrontation ended with a ceasefire that June 24.

Then this Feb. 28, the US and Israel launched a war against Iran, which responded with attacks on Israel and what it described as US military facilities in Arab countries.

Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding on June 18 and began negotiations that later collapsed over disagreements concerning navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic passage for energy supplies and goods.

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